The Wizard of Steel
by Scott the Wanderer
Summary: Harry Potter is far more than even the most imaginative Wizard can imagine. The truth was hidden from everyone, save one man. How will Harry cope with the fact that he is far more than just a wizard. Warning Character Death.
1. Secret Origins

This is response to a fic challenge. It inspired me and I must write.

Name (of challenge): The Wizard of Steel

Name of challenger: DalkonCledwin

Pairings/characters: Harry/Fleur (Gabriel is allowed to join them, but only Veela in the pairing)

Summary: What if Harry was the biological brother of Kal-El, but the two had been sent to earth in two separate starships. Where Kal-El was adopted by a Muggle Couple in Kansas, Harry is instead adopted by a Wizarding Couple in Great Britain. Harry then goes on to become the Wizard of Steel. How would these events change the story of the Boy-Who-Lived?

Other details: The Reason I only want a Veela pairing is because I have it in my mind that Veela biology is sufficiently different enough from human biology that it would be compatible with Kryptonian Biology and they would be able to produce children in that manner. Humans cannot produce children with Kryptonians under normal circumstances.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, Superman or DC Comics. Anything you recognize I do not own.

* * *

 _"The one with the Power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... borne to those who have thrice defied him, borne as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark Him as his equal, but He will have Power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the Power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be borne as the seventh month dies... " —Prophecy made to Albus Dumbledore by Sybill Trelawney_

The English language is full of homonyms, words that sound alike but have different meanings. When Dumbledore heard the word _borne_ he mistook it for _born._ The same was true of Severus and later Voldemort. They did not imagine that they could possibly be mistaken. Of course, despite this strange twist of language and the human mind, it would have mattered very little in the end.

* * *

Krypton was dying.

Par El, second wife of Jor El, realized the same thing her husband on the opposite side of the planet did: Krypton was dying.

Par El had only one desire before the end of the world as she knew it. She desperately wanted to save her son Har El. She knew his half brother Kal El would be saved. Her beloved Jor and Lara had quickly constructed a small warpship. If it hadn't been for them sending her the schematics Par El would never have been able to build Har's in time.

"What planet are you sending Kal to, my love?" Par asked her husband as they looked at each other through the comms device. She felt a twinge of jealousy at seeing him embracing Lara. She wanted to be there with them, but her son came first.

"Terra. We are targeting the Kents in Kansas. They will make excellent parents for him." Jor tried to smile, but just couldn't. If the Council had only listened so many more could be saved. "They would except Har as well."

"You know I cannot send Har to them. They are not Magical." Par sniffed trying to suppress the tears coming to her eyes. She was a Kryptonian Magi, unlike her two lovers who hadn't a drop of magical blood in their bodies. "Their world still separates the Magi from the others. I will target Britain and the Potters. They are much like the Kents in many ways."

"Our sons won't know each other?" Lara was clearly upset about that. Har and Kal had been born just seconds apart and had spent all but the last month together. It was heartbreaking to think they might never interact again.

"In time they might. I am leaving an AI of myself for Har. When it is time, she will tell him." Par tried to give a reassuring smile, but it just wasn't possible. "You can attempt the same. I left my experiment in your lab."

Before Jor El could respond Krypton was rocked by another set of earthquakes. The damage to the comms grid was immediate and catastrophic. Jor and Lara didn't see their lover's face again until they joined her in the afterlife.

* * *

"Ah, Director Ragnok, you honor us with your presence." Lily Potter nee Evans bowed deeply to well dressed goblin. "I was just informing Grabhorn that we have blood-adopted a son. Please meet Harrel James Potter-Black. We call him Harry."

Ragnok peaked into the swaddling that James Potter was holding. Now normally, Goblins found humans to be frail and ugly. It was because Goblins had an innate ability to see the weak points of anything they saw. Humans with their single heart, soft flesh and exposed genitalia were so easy to injure. To goblins they would never be beautiful no matter how pretty they were. However the infant in the swaddling was simply the most beautiful being he had ever seen. The child had flesh that would make dragonhide look soft and muscles that would make the stoutest giant seem weak. If there was a physical weakness, Ragnok could not see it.

"He is a beautiful child, Mrs. Potter." Ragnok said after just a few moments. "Does this mean you wish to cease the goblin fertility treatments?"

"Not exactly. I wish to continue them." Lily said after a moment. She did not understand the significance of Ragnok using the term beautiful, but she had been happy that the boy who stole her heart was doing it with others. "I have not been seen in public for eight months. Only James and Sirius have seen me other than on a Floo call. What we are hoping is that we could spread some disinformation."

"Ah, I see. Since you have blood adopted the child, your Ministry will record him as being born of your loins. However, if someone were to ask us…" Ragnok frowned in thought. There were cases where Blood Adoptions could be challenged in order to affect inheritances. Little Harrel would be the sole heir to the Potter and Black fortunes, not to mention Lordships. Ragnok knew that there was another possible heir, the Malfoy child. Normally, Ragnok would not take a side, but Harrel was special, he was sure of it. "Grabhorn, isn't this a lovely child that Lily Potter has given birth to?"

"Yes, Director Ragnok, he is a lovely child." Grabhorn wasn't a fool. He knew exactly what the Director wanted. "It's amazing what Goblin Healers can do when properly motivated."

"Thank you, Director Ragnok." James Potter smiled without showing teeth. "Please accept five thousand galleons as a gift to the Goblins for your help."

"You are most generous, Heir Potter." Ragnok gave only the barest of bows, but it was not to James or Lily, bt rather to little Harrel. "Your Heir's interests will be protected by Gringotts for the remainder of his days."

* * *

"Harry? You're alive?" Sirius Black picked up his godson and cradled him to his chest. As the little man's arms wrapped around his neck, Sirius braced for the far too strong hug that would be coming. Only it didn't. Little Harry's arms held no more strength than the average toddlers. "What happened?"

"I believe the scene is quite self explanatory, Sirius." Dumbledore had almost quite literally stepped out of nowhere. "Voldemort found the Potters and attempted to eliminate Harry. These are his favorite robes." The old man kicked a pile of black robes. "We must act swiftly to secure Harry behind Blood Wards, otherwise Voldemort's followers will find him and finish what their Master started."

"Yes, yes, that is a good idea. I have a house in Holyhead we can erect them there." Sirius patted Harry on the back before shifting him in position. Harry looked ready to just fall asleep as he was, but otherwise hale and whole, not a mark to be seen. "Harry, don't worry you will be coming to live with me."

"I am afraid that is impossible, Sirius. He must go live with Petunia, she is his closest blood relation after all." Dumbledore adopted the grandfatherly tone to his voice. "If you will hand Harry over…"

"Bollocks to that. The Petunia hates Lily and Vernon…well…people like him are why Voldemort are not completely wrng when they say muggles are scum." Sirius responded with more and a bit of venom in his tone. "I blood adopted Harry as my son when James and Lils offered. So I am his closest blood relation."

"Ah, my apologies then Sirius. I was unaware of your close relationship." Dumbledore offered a smiled before motioning Sirius towards the door.

"It's alright, it was a secret after all." Sirius shook his head for a second and started towards the stairs. Normally he would think about apparating, but doing that with Harry was not as easy as one would think. "It's going to be alright Harry, I promise."

"Obliviate. Imperio." Dumbledore was faster than any normal wizard could even dream of being when it came to wandwork. The moment Sirius had presented his back, Dumbledore pounced. With just a few telepathic commands, Sirius was waiting to play his part in everything. "I like you Sirius, but you cannot be allowed to have influence over Harry. He might become a threat to my plans if you raised him."

Once Harry was set back in the crib, Dumbledore started a series of spells. The first was a partial bind of Harry's magic. Yes, Dumbledore would admit that the Dursleys were horrible people, but he was not sending Harry there to be killed. Too much accidental magic would guarantee that Vernon would strangle him. The next set of spells were general antipathy charms, unless someone already held affection for young Harry they would see him in an unflattering light. There was no used sending Harry to be broken if he could make friends. Of course he would lift the charms before Hogwarts. Harry would find his first friends in the magical world and thus become ready to die for them. Then there came a series of tracking spells. All in all, it took a few minutes to weave it all together.

"Hmm, the prophecy said you would be marked." Albus mused for a moment. "Normally, just being attacked would be enough, but I need to make sure." Dumbledore drew the dagger from his left boot and prepared a numbing charm. He might be willing to cut the child, but not make the child suffer pain at his hands. With a series of strokes with the dark magic infused blade, Harry now had a lightning bolt shaped scar. Adding a little of the ash from Voldemort's robes and in a few years the taint would make attempts to analyze the scar impossible. "There we are, the perfect martyr for the Light. People will be naming their children Albus and Harry for centuries."

* * *

Many years later at Hogwarts.

Harry Potter leapt on the back of the troll without a single thought to just how he might survive the beast. All he knew was in that moment he had to save Hermione. Immediately the Troll started trashing around in an attempt to dislodge him. Harry knew that was pretty much a death sentence. In a vain attempt to attempt to harm the troll he shoved his Holly Wand up the beast's nose. His hope had been that he could have gotten it into the brain. While he didn't want to kill anything, he also didn't want to die. "Ron get Hermione out of here!"

"Okay, Harry, hold on he can't get you while you're on his back." Ronald Weasley might not have wanted to come save Hermione in the first place, but he was not sorted into Gryffindor on merely his family name. While Harry had the troll distracted, Ron attempted to sprint across the bathroom and grab Hermione and sling shot her out of danger. Sure it was not the best of plans, but he'd only had a second to make it.

As luck would have it, Harry didn't manage to injure the Troll, merely upset him as now his nose was hurting. That however did not distract the Troll from his goals. He had little ones to smash into paste. The black haired one was on his back and the curly haired one pressed herself into a corner. However the redhaired one was in the open and moving just within range. With a half step and a bloodcurdling roar the Troll brought the club down on the redhaired little one.

"RON!" Hermione screamed as she saw the incoming club coming for the boy.

"Bugger…" Ron had just enough time to utter a final word as the club came down upon him.

The Bathroom was sprayed with blood as a half ton of stone was used to pulverize the youngest male Weasley. The sickening sound of crushed bones and burst organs would be something that haunted the dreams of Hermione Granger and Harry Potter. With a triumphant roar the Troll raised his club again in an attempt to swat Harry off his back.

While Hermione was weeping for a young man who had tried to save her, Harry was a building inferno of rage. The absolute first friend he had made that was his age had just been killed. The friend who had introduced him to Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bots Any Flavor Beans, and most of all treated him as a human being.

"I WILL KILL YOU! I SWEAR IT!" Harry Potter roared in the Troll's ear and there was a brilliant flash of light even as the club finally smashed into him.

If the hit of the troll's club had come before the vow the events that followed would have been different. As it was when any magical being make a vow there is a brief flash of light. Now to almost every species of creature across the universe this flash of light would mean nothing. However, to the weakened Kryptonian known as Har El this flash of light was empowering in a way that fueled the last stage of his recovery.

Harry flew off the Troll's back and through the wall separating the girl's and boy's washroom. Normally, an eleven year old boy would have simply splattered over the surface of a stone wall, but that fact escaped Harry as he stood up amongst the rubble. Brushing chunks of pulverized stone off his robes he glared at the Troll not realizing his glass had been destroyed. With a snarl of pure hatred Harry pulled himself through the hole and headed straight for the Troll.

"You don't hit even hit as hard as Piers Polkiss." Harry sneered as he stepped up to Troll and punched the beast in the stomach, which was as high as he could reach.

The reaction was beyond all the normal expectations of a preteen hitting a grown man let alone a monster capable of crushing a lorry. Harry's fist sank deep into the tough hide of the Troll as momentum resisted the incredible force of the blow. Time seemed to stop as the Trolls eyes nearly bulged out of it's sockets. As time resumed the troll was flung through the opposite wall across the hall and tumbling twice before it crashed through another wall into an empty classroom.

"Harry?" Hermione blinked owlishly at the sight. She had been sure that Harry died the moment club connected.

"Just a moment Hermione. That thing killed Ron and almost got you too. It dies now." Harry turned to face the girl he thought of as another friend. "Nobody hurts my friends ever again!"

Hermione wanted to stop him but her brain was locked up. She knew Wizards and Witches were tougher than normal humans, but what she saw wasn't possible. Was it?

The Troll shook his head as he sat up. He had never been hit so hard, even when he had angered that giant. Seeing the dark haired little one stomp towards him, the Troll roared in anger. The little one had to be one of those stick wavers. He hated the stick wavers. They made him do things. He would teach this one to mess with Trolls. Getting up to his feet the Troll charged the little one and brought his club down with both hands.

Harry raised both hands above his head in what for others would be a futile effort to ward off the massive granite club. When the hard stone shattered on his forearms Harry felt only the same pain as a kick from his cousin would cause. He didn't dare question whether this was due to magic or not. Instead took a moment to grab the Trolls arms and pull toward him. Being overbalanced the Beast crashed to ground as it's arms were dislocated from the immense strength Harry had used.

"You took my friend away from me! You took him away from his family!" Harry shouted as he drew his foot back. With an inarticulate scream of rage he put everything he had into that kick. The old trainer he was wearing disintegrated from air resistance before his bare foot completely collapsed the Troll's head. That didn't stop Harry, he kept kicking and kicking even as he broke down in tears.

* * *

"Good heavens!"Minerva McGonagall blurted out as she came to sudden stop in the destroyed Girl's lavatory. Where once a rather modern bathroom, by wizard standards, had stood was now just blood soaked rubble. One of her Lions was weeping over the mangled body of another. It took her a moment to recognize Hermione Granger and if the shock of ginger hair was anything to go by the mangled body was Ronald Weasley. Looking around she noticed that the room had two gigantic holes through the walls as if someone had used high powered reductor curses. Before she could compose herself she blurted out the very thought that was on her mind. "What happened here?"

"The Troll cornered me and when Harry and Ron came to save me, the Troll killed Ron." Hermione hiccupped around her tears. She was so far into shock that she was just responding out of habit of answering questions. "The troll then threw Harry through that wall and then Harry punched the Troll through that wall." Hermione motioned to the two walls. "I think he went to finish it off."

"I dinnae ken what yeh are sayin' lass. Harry Potter punched a Troll through a wall?" Minerva had slipped into a full Scottish burr for a few moments as her mind tried to process what she had heard.

"Yes, he did. It violated nearly every law of physics and physiology I know of, but he did." Hermione Granger looked up from the ruined body of Ron. "He followed it. You might find him, but I hope he makes it suffer before he kills it."

* * *

Severus Snape had come from the opposite direction as Minerva McGonagall. As such he had stumbled upon the pair of holes running perpendicular to the hall way. He was torn on which way to go to intercept the Troll until he heard the Deputy Headmistress talking to a student. Quickly choosing the other direction he drew his wand and leapt through the hole. He didn't have to go far before he saw a young student literally kicking a dead troll. He would have considered it funny, if it wasn't for the fact he saw that the kicks were strong enough to pulverize the trolls bones.

"Stupefy." Severus knew that the Headmaster would ream him a new one, but he really wasn't willing to risk the anger of a student hyped up on Reem Blood.

The red bolt of the stunner struck the young student in back, but instead of causing him to drop unconscious it merely slowed the pace of the kicking.

"I'm getting tired. The adrenalin must be wearing off." Harry mumbled as he gave one last kick to the troll.

"Potter? What is the meaning of this?" Severus took an involuntary step back. He was very proficient in stunning spells, so he knew that the Potter brat should have dropped in his tracks. While Reem Blood could account for the supernatural strength displayed, it could not account for the resistance to the Stunner.

"The Troll killed Ron." Harry said tiredly as he turned around to face the new voice. "I couldn't let that go unpunished. My parents were taken from me. I never got to know them. Ron was my friend and I lost him. too." Harry's hollow voice sounded so lost as his legs collapsed from underneath him. "Why do I lose everyone?"

Severus groaned internally as he heard the son of his very worst enemy so very lost. Didn't the child get enough pampering? Well, he would not coddle him. Coddling led to weakness. The brat needed to kill the Dark Lord and he couldn't do if he was weak.

"To your feet Potter. I am not one of your sycophants. You will get to your feet and march yourself to the infirmary." Snape sneered. When Harry didn't move, Severus shouted. "NOW POTTER!"

* * *

Harry was unsure how he got to the infirmary or even how he came to be laying in a bed dressed in pyjamas. The last thing he remembered was kicking the Troll in the head over and over again. He couldn't but help to wonder how he did the things he did. He hadn't heard of a spell or potions that made a person invulnerable or strong. Even if he had, he certainly didn't know how to cast the spell and he definitely did not drink a potion. He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts he didn't notice Hermione resting in the bed next to his.

"Harry, how did you do it?" Hermione spoke up, pulling Harry from his musings. "Was it a spell?"

"I don't know, Hermione. I really don't know." Harry said softly. "I tackled that troll thinking it was going to kill me, but at least I would save you and Ron." He shook his head. "I have no idea how I got so strong. If I did I would have done it before Ron died. Oh God, Ron's dead and it's my fault. All my fault! All my fault! They were right…"

"Harry…" Hermione attempted to interrupt the flood of guilt that was washing over Harry.

"…I'm a good for nothing freak." Harry mumbled just loud enough to be heard. "I ruin everything good."

"Harry James Potter you stop that this instant!" Hermione may not have wanted to yell at Harry but she was damned if she was going to let her savior run himself down. "None of this was your fault. If you and Ron hadn't com for me, I'd be dead and Merlin knows how many other students. You and Ron did the best you could and don't you dare belittle Ron's sacrifice. He came with you to rescue me like a true Gryffindor."

Harry stopped listing his many multitudes of imagined sins and looked over at the bushy haired girl who was now huffing in indignation. He'd never been told it was not his fault. Back on Privet Drive it was always his fault, no matter who the real culprit was. Wide eyed he just stared at her.

"The real blame is on whomever thought it would be funny to release a Mountain Troll in the Castle. You save your blame for them." Hermione said with much more force than one would image a twelve year old could. "And once we find out who it was, I get first crack at them. After I am done, then you turn them into paste, understood?"

"Of course, Hermione." Harry nodded vigorously as the young woman demanded his agreement. It hadn't occurred to him that he was stronger than her. All he knew was that Hermione was scary when brassed off. "We'll find him."

"Good, now I do not want to hear of you blaming yourself again." Hermione said with some manner of finality. "I need my Best Friend to not be a guilt ridden mess when he is not to blame."

* * *

"Ah, Poppy what have the tests concluded?" Albus Dumbledore was definitely intrigued. When Minerva had reported that two bathrooms and a class room had been practically destroyed by a fight between students and a Troll he had naturally assumed that they were seventh years. When he was told who the students were he had been shocked and more than a little saddened. While he didn't say it aloud he did internally condemn Harry for letting a fellow student die. "Do we know how young Harry survived the Troll?"

"I certainly do Headmaster, and I will discuss it with him as soon as I believe he can handle the news." Poppy Pomfrey was a fully dedicated Mediwitch. Her priority was the safety and health of the children and Professors at Hogwarts, as such she was under the full set of vows any Healer took. "As it was not spell, potions, or set of runes I believe you involvement in this case is over, Headmaster.

"Poppy, surely as the boys Magical Guardian I am privy to such information." Dumbledore pressed, the twinkle in his eye intensifying.

"Headmaster, even if you were Mr. Potter's proper Magical Guardian I would not be able to release the information to you without Mr. Potter's permission." Madam Pomfrey straightened to her full height and stared the Headmaster in the eyes. She had little fear of a Leglimens as her Vows worked better than Occlumency at protecting medical secrets. "Now, if Mr. Potter deems you should be informed I will do so, until then please refrain from attempting to pry the information out of me."

Dumbledore would be the first to admit he did not like when he was denied anything he wanted. However, he had learned that there were things you press and things you let lie. Most politicians could be pressed for information and favors as Dumbledore was practically a living Saint to the Wizarding World. However, Mediwitches and Healers were practically immune to political pressure. He could not demand he be shown anything because the Vows would not allow it if the Healer thought it should remain confidential.

"I understand, Poppy. I was merely overly curious." Dumbledore gave the grandfatherly smile and dismissed th whole event as simple professional curiosity. "There is another matter. How is the reconstruction on young Mr. Weasley's corpse coming? Arthur and Molly are hoping to take him to the Burrow soon."

"Oh, Mr. Weasley should be presentable by tomorrow morning. We were lucky he was only hit with the club twice, his bones were all broken, not powdered." Madam Pomfrey was just a bit ill at the thought of what happened to the youngest Weasley male. "I have given calming draughts to the other Weasleys and young Mr. Weasley's room-mates."

"Very well, I will inform them what time to arrive." Dumbledore offered a nod of his head before leaving Poppy's office.

* * *

"Ah, Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, I am glad to see you two have recovered." Madam Pomfrey smiled as she entered the infirmary to see her patients awake. Normally she would admonish them for not resting properly, bt there was nothing wrong with them physically. They had both just been through a terrible shock. "You'll be somewhat happy to know, you are both physically cleared to leave the infirmary for dinner. I fear you will need to take breakfast and lunch here however." As she spoke she waved her wand and two trays laden with potions floated over to their respective beds. "Now, you will need to take all these potions to help with what has happened."

"Excuse me, but why would I need potions. I didn't suffer any injuries." Hermione looked at the goopy substances with a gimlet eye.

"Oh, no need to be excused Miss Granger. I prefer my patients to ask intelligent questions. Well, on both of your trays are Calming Draughts to help you keep from slipping back into shock. Then there is Widow's Friend, it blunts the symptoms of grief during waking hours. The third is Auror's Lament, it allows your dreams to help you deal with the shock of seeing death so close up. You won't remember these dreams, but they will help. And I included a chocolate Nutrient Potions for each of you on general principal." Poppy pointed out the various potions. "While the best treatment for this type of trauma is a Veela Mindhealer, they are strictly forbidden to work on patients under the age of fourteen considering the nature of their methods of healing. At least they are here in Britain."

"Uhm what about these potions, Madam Pomfrey?" Harry asked as he looked at the tray in front of him. There were at four more vials in his tray that Hermione's.

"Well, Mr. Potter, I have added Soldier's Ally, a brew that does the same as Auror's Lament except for how you have ended a life, no matter how justified it was. Then this is Liquid Sun. There are numerous benefits to exposure to sunlight for Witches and Wizards, and I can tell you have not had as much as you need. One dose provides your body with the equivalent of twelve hours sunbathing." Madam Pomfrey replied with smile. "The third one is a Peanut Butter Nutrient Potion and the final one I will tell you about privately. Don't drink it, however."

"Oh, okay." Harry began arranging his potions by the way the smelled. He had a feeling that most potions tasted about how they smelled, basically like sewage. The nutrient potions actually smelled very good, so he saved those for last. He looked to Hermione and saw she had done the same. Lifting the first potion he chuckled. "Cheers."

"Cheers." Hermione giggled a bit and began throwing back the nasty potions as quickly as she could. The first had been vile, she felt a serene sensation pass over her, so she assumed it worked.

Madam Pomfrey smiled as he two patients dutifully started their medication regimens. She so rarely got fully cooperative patients. Once all the potions were drank, except the one Harry had to set aside, breakfast was delivered by House Elves. Hermione was so hungry at this point that she didn't immediately ask what they were, she just ripped into her full English breakfast. Harry was pretty much the same though he noticed his breakfast was bigger than even what Ron would normally eat.

"Once you are done, we will do the individual examinations. They will be private as the curtains have silencing charms." Madam Pomfrey nodded to each of them before heading back to her office.

* * *

"We still have no leads on how a fully mature Mountain Troll got into Hogwarts. The one placed in the deep dungeons is still there." Minerva McGonagall was pacing back and forth in front of the Headmaster's desk. "On a brighter note Filius has effected repairs to the damaged walls and lavatories." She did not seem particularly happy with that, even if it was good news. "You are positive it was not Professor Quirrel? He was able to procure one Troll."

"I am quite certain that it was not Quirinus Quirrel." Dumbledore offered his usual wise tone that practically screamed: I am always right. "The man does not have a single violent bone in his body."

"And yet you have him teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts." Minerva snarked. "My Lions have told me how ineffective his lectures are. One of the muggleborns compared him to something called Porky Pig."

Dumbledore had to stifle a chuckle at that one. It was an accurate description from the few cartoons he had seen during his holidays. Shaking his head he triggered a set of runes on the floor underneath his desk. They were designed to have the same effects as a strong calming draught.

"I assure you, Minerva, that Professor Quirrel is perfectly qualified." Albus reinforced his statement with a mild compulsion to let the matter drop. "And the Troll was just merely an unfortunate accident. We are just lucky it was handled before more than one death occurred."

"Yes, yes of course. He was just one of mine and it has been decades since there was a death in this school." McGonagall sat down heavily in the chair and let out a weary sigh. "I feel I have somehow failed my Lions."

"Minerva, young Ronald's death is not our fault. He ran to the rescue of a fellow classmate. There is no more noble end than that in my opinion." Albus knew he was laying it on thick. Ron had reluctantly joined Harry at first, but he had willingly joined him in the end. "From what we have uncovered their plan was no better or worse than any of our faculty could have done under the circumstances. Trolls are notoriously hard to subdue which is why we have one as one of our defenses."

"Yes, yes, I understand." Minerva responded while her mind absorbed the slight compulsions. "If you'll excuse me, I must have a meeting with my Lions. I had only informed the Weasleys and young Mister Weasley's roommates last night."

"Ah, very good. Inform them that classes are canceled today." Albus said softly. "And the Weasleys have permission to leave Hogwarts for the funeral when it occurs."

* * *

"Ah, I see I am just in time." Madam Pomfrey smiled warmly as she made her way to Harry's bedside just as the young man had taken the last sip of juice after such a large breakfast. Pulling the curtains closed and activating the silencing charm feature, Poppy assured there would be a great deal of privacy for the discussion with her young patient. "Now, first things first, that third potion is actually a salve for your scars, Mr. Potter. You will need to apply a vial of it daily to the affected areas." Poppy sighed softly as saw Harry's eye widened. "I am the only person who has seen those scars, Mr. Potter. Rest assured I will not let anyone know you have them unless you give me permission to speak about them."

"Uhm, the Quidditch team knows too." Harry muttered hanging his head in shame. He hadn't wanted anyone to know about what he suffered at home. There was a reason he always wore his cousin Dudley's castoffs if he wasn't wearing his school uniform. His back, chest and abdomen was littered with scars from the floggings Vernon would give him. Many, many times he had been whipped nearly raw, and healed by the next day. "I don't want anyone else to know what kind of worthless freak I am."

"Hmm, I thought they might. Miss Bell was in here just a few days ago asking what kind of treatments there were for scars. I thought nothing of it at the time, nor of the Twins asking the same thing." Poppy sat on the edge of the bed hoping to make Harry at least a little more comfortable. "Now, I wish to tell you this, Mr. Potter, you are in no way worthless, nor are you a freak. Those people who gave you those scars are freaks. The people who told you are worthless are merely jealous that you are better than them.

"What?" Harry looked up from his lap as he heard that. Nobody had ever told him either of those things. When he had tried to tell Teachers and Police Officers when he was younger, they had merely ignored him.

"May I call you Harry?" Poppy asked and when she got the nod she offered a genuine smile. "In all my years at Hogwarts I have seen many children who have been beaten down both in body and mind. Not one of them did a single thing to deserve it." She paused for a moment. "And I know you could not have done anything to deserve such a fate either. Even if you had not defeated You-Know-Who, the character you showed in saving Miss Granger from a Troll is the very thing heroes are forged from. I would be absolutely terrified of a troll and be completely unable to act unless someone shouted orders at me. According to Miss Granger, you tackled a fully grown Mountain Troll in an effort to let Mr. Weasley rescue Miss Granger. That it failed is not your fault. Short of Professor Flitwick, Professor Quirrel or Professor Dumbledore, I doubt any of the Professors could have fared much better against the Troll. Even they might have been unable to best the beast before he killed Miss Granger."

"So I traded Ron for Hermione? Someone with a loving family still died." Harry grimaced. "I didn't want that. It was supposed to be me."

"That is what is known as Survivor's Guilt. If you had died and by some miracle Miss Granger and Mr Weasley escaped the Troll, then I would imagine Ronald would be feeling the same way right now. I dare say he would feel worse, as Miss Granger told me why she was crying her eyes out in that bathroom." Poppy plowed along in helping her young charge. She was no mindhealer, but before Hogwarts she had been a Combat Mediwitch. She had seen far too many Aurors and Hitwizards go through similar feelings. "Of course that is assuming they would have survived. If you had died who would have handled the Troll before it hurt others? I respect our Deputy Headmistress, but Trollhide resists transfiguration nearly as well as it does curses. Our esteemed Potions Master might have been able to take it down but not before one of your friends died. You managed to handle the situation better than they could have."

"But why couldn't I handle it before? One minute I was weak and pathetic the next I was powerful. The club shattered on my forearms like it was made of spun sugar. I should have been just as dead as Ron."

"Well, that is the other thing I must discuss with you, Harry." Poppy resituated herself on the bed a bit so she was half facing Harry. "As I examined you, I used a series of spell to accurate diagnose anything that could be wrong with you. They were like the spells that I used during your physical but more detailed. Do you remember me commenting that you bones and muscles were denser than the average Wizards?" Seeing the nod she continued. "And that your eyes were perfectly formed, it was your optic nerve that was damaged? Well, this time I found some very unusual readings. Your optic nerve is now completely repaired. I imagine that you have not discovered that you no longer need glasses to see." She waited a moment for Harry to discover that for himself. "Well, when I received that reading I decided I needed to delve deeper."

"What did you learn?" Harry could see the hesitance in Poppy's whole demeanor. Normally if he saw something like that, he would just leave the subject alone. However at that moment he needed answers.

"I am trying to find a way of telling you what you need to know without sounding insane." Poppy furrowed her brow. "Some of the spells I used simply fizzled. At first I thought they failed, but they just could not decipher the information they were gathering from your body. One of them was a simple specie revello spell. It's a spell used when one isn't sure of a patient's species, important mostly because some potions do not interact well with other species. Giving a partial Goblin like Professor Flitwick a dose of Calming Draught is more likely to drive him into hyperactive violent state. He won't kill out of hand, but he'll fight anyone nearby while cheerfully talking about the latest paper he read. Giving Mr. Hagrid a simple dose of Skelegro could trigger a growth spurt of several inches thanks to his giant-blood. When I applies the charm to you, it would not give me the name of any species in the world. There was just a series of strange symbols in the air for a moment. It did however give me notes on potions and recommended a vial Liquid Sun to help with injuries or fatigue."

"So I am not human?" Harry quirked an eyebrow at the explanation. Poppy did not strike him as one who would make up a story.

"In body, no, you are not human in much the same way a Veela or Half-Breed is. However in mind and heart, I daresay you are more human than ninety percent of Humanity is." Poppy smiled as she chuckled a bit. "I will keep this information under the strictest of confidentiality. I will only tell those you deem worthy of the knowledge."

"Mmmh, I'll wait to tell others until I know just what I am." Harry said after a moments contemplation. "Though I still wonder why I wasn't strong enough to save Ron."

"Well, Harry, whatever your species is my not come into their strength and invulnerability until their teen years. Your emotional distress at seeing Ronald dying may have triggered it early for all we know or understand." Poppy mused even as she started to stand. "The phenomena is seen in several magical species."

* * *

"And just who do you think you are?" Moaning Myrtle was not at all welcoming to the intruder that was now in her home away from home. She had good reason to be grumpy. That Marietta Edgecombe girl had chased off the nice girl Myrtle had been talking to. Myrtle wasn't sure of her name, was it Li Su or Su Li? It didn't matter the tiny Ravenclaw had been polite and surprisingly kind. "What are you doing in a Girl's Bathroom?"

"I'm not quite sure." The young man turned to face the girl talking to him. "I came here because someone was crying. It was my fault."

"Oh, I see, an Ickle Gryffindor picked on a girl and felt guilty." Myrtle rolled her eyes. "Well, at least you're better than that horrible Olive Hornsby. So, what happened? Did she kill you for being a prat?"

"Yes, I felt guilty. I snapped because she was trying to help me with a spell. I was being stupid." The young man sighed as he sank down, sitting on the edge of a toilet. "I came here because she was in danger. No…that's not right. I followed my friend here. He was the one willing to save her from the Troll. He jumped on the Troll in order to distract him. I was running to get the girl and then…nothing. I think I died."

"Oh, you died saving the girl. That's actually sweet. You're going to be popular with the girl ghosts." Myrtle giggled a bit as she edged closer to the young man. "I'm Myrtle. What's your name?"

"Ron, Ron Weasley." The young man replied with a shrug.


	2. Rumors and Reality

_Sirius Black: So Albus (Too Many Bloody Names) Dumbledore is the reason I am sitting in Azkaban?_

 _Scott the Wanderer: Well, at least in this universe._

 _Sirius: I really want to Harry to go "To the moon Albus!" and then Pow right in the kisser._

 _Scott: You realize if Harry does it as an adult that is entirely possible._

 _Sirius: Yes, that is what I am desperately hoping._

 _Scott: Well, he just might. No promises._

 _Sirius: Awww, well at least I don't need to worry about Harry too much._

 _Scott: Are you kidding? Have you ever seen what kind of trouble magnets Kryptonians are? Add in the blood adoptions and you have a Kryptonian Marauder._

 _Sirius: ~pales~ I think I need a drink. ~grabs bottle of Ogden's Finest~_

 _Scott: Careful, you are still skin and bones._

 _Sirius: I don't care. I need to get so drunk I forget what you just told me. Scott the Wanderer does not own Harry Potter, DC Comics, or Smallville._

* * *

Discb: That might take a few years.

Sakura Lisel:Yeah, Poor Ron, though now he really set himself apart from his brothers.

What happened that night will be revealed through story elements. Suffice it to say, Harry's Kryptonian and Magical powers were very drained by surviving that night. The treatment he got at the Dursley's was much harsher than canon and what sunlight he was getting was doing little more than keeping him alive. It was slowly making him stronger and even if not for the Light of the Vow he would have recovered his powers in just a few months at Hogwarts. Remember this is based off Smallville Kryptonians who really aren't invulnerable until mid teens. Remember Clark was surprised he was uninjured when Lex Luthor crashed into him. Before then he must have had at least bruises and some minor injuries.

DalkonCledwin: I took artistic license with the club, making it a stalactite that the troll preferred using. Wooden tree trunks would be ruined too quickly against other trolls.

Harry's Bio-Field did not cover the sneaker as they were loose hand me downs from Dudley. Clark has the same problem with loose clothing unless they really tough stuff.

Reem Blood ( I don't remember if it is cannon or not) consuming it gives a Wizard superhuman strength and makes them very overconfident. It's not often used because it doesn't last more than a few minutes.

Hermione is so going to be one half of the Chloe Sullivan role, with Luna definitely being the other half with she arrives. Chloe, Hermione, and Luna would get along like a house afire.

No Draco could not pull off Best Friend or be a credible main villain to Harry.

Well, for those of age it is decidedly sexual. The xenophobic Wizengamot did not even think to ask how it is handled with children and young teens.

Yes, like non-magical Kryptonians interacted with muggles, the Magi interacted with the Wizarding world. The potion has benefits for most beings, vampires obviously excluded. After first year is over, Harry should steadily power up at the Durselys as they really can't hurt him anymore. Of course if he can make Liquid Sun potions it will definitely have a positive effect.

Yeah, I butchered a few words, I really need to have it proofread three times instead of just twice. My inhouse Beta is almost as bad as I am.

Moon Wolf 96: Well, it just came to me. I needed a trigger for Harry and there was one person at the time I could kill. But I still wanted a little of Ron in the story.

The Man of Time: I am mostly just using Smallville as a sort of template for how the world is and how Harry expresses his powers. Putting Harry in the main DC Universe would cause all kinds of havoc. How wouldn't Dr. Fate and Zatana not get involved with the Wizarding War? Better just to not have that temptation.

Penny is wise: No, Ron as a ghost will just be slightly better Ron.

darkplayer35 Thank you

jrock919: The one on his forehead was caused by dark magic and has some contamination. It will stay for a while, until Harry figures out just what caused it.

lordamnesia : Thank you

shuriken200: Thank you and considering the route I am going it will likely include Gabrielle as well, even if just epilogue. As for super busty, perhaps.

Lokarryn: Thank you, I have seen ghost Harry before, but you're right no ghost Ron

Mattcun: Assuredly, I have to get Harry through the saga.

Dweiathecat: Me either, which is astounding as you would think someone else would have thought of it.

* * *

" _Avada Kedavra, Imperio, and Cruciatus: the three darkest spells in all the known galaxies. These spells were old when the Twelve Tribes were just beginning to learn Science and Magic. Kryptonian Magi have been trying to reverse engineer these three fell curses for millennia in an attempt to create defenses for other beings. The Arithmancy is as far beyond our capabilities as Quantum Mechanics is beyond the common ant's. Legends claim these spells are an experiment by Darkseid of Apokalips in an attempt to discover the Anti-Life Equation. Given the atrocities that Darkseid is known to perpetrate, the legend could have some validity." –Par El, Professor of Magi History_

* * *

Hogwarts was as rumor laden as any environment loaded with bored people. While some looked down upon the 'gossip queens' for endlessly prattling on about who did what, everyone got caught up in rumor passing. After the announcement of Ronald Weasley's heroic demise by the Headmaster, the gossip queens were salivating. When Harry Potter was mentioned as finally defeating the threat only after Ronald died, they were practically drooling. When Hermione Granger was mentioned, the gossip queens could barely keep from vibrating out of their seats. Only two did not seem in the spirit of spreading rumors, Lavendar Brown and Parvati Patil, who knew Ron, Hermione, and Harry a little better than the others. Of course even with the two Gryffindor 'gossip queens' spreading only what they were told, conjectures and outlandish fabrications ruled the day.

 _Hermione Granger accidently let a Troll in. The beast had killed Ronald and in a fit of rage Harry killed the troll._

 _Ronald Weasley ate so much he transformed into a troll and attacked Hermione. Harry Potter was forced to kill him to save her._

 _The King of the Trolls came to avenge himself upon Harry Potter, taking Hermione and Ron as Hostages. Before Harry could defeat him, the troll king killed Ron._

 _Hermione purposely set a troll on Ron to scare him for insulting her. Harry Potter was forced to kill the troll when it escaped Hermione's control_

 _Ronald Weasley set a troll on Hermione Granger, but it was killed by Harry Potter with just a single spell. The troll's body fell onto Ron and crushed him underneath._

 _Harry Potter was playfully wrestling with a troll when Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger stumbled upon them. The Troll accidently killed Ron, so Harry killed the troll before it killed Hermione._

Each rumor was more fantastic than the last, but they all agreed on one point: Harry Potter killed a troll with terrifying ease. Of course the populace of Hogwarts completely believed this. After all, Harry Potter had done the impossible once before when he survived the Avada Kedavra.

* * *

"I should have known you two would be in here." Ronald Weasley floated up through the library table that Hermione and Harry had been using to research his condition. "So what have you found out?"

"WAHAAAA!" Hermione screeched loud enough it almost penetrated the silencing spell that she had placed on the table. Immediately she was clutching her chest and attempting to regain her normal state of breathing.

Harry was little better, outwardly he appeared calm, until you saw that he had gripped the side of the table so hard there were impressions in the Australian Buloke table top. Wide-eyed he stared at the ghostly image of Ronald Weasley and just gaped for a moment.

"Bwahahahahahaha!" Ronald burst into laughter for a minute as his living friends regained their composure. "Oh Merlin, Peeves was right. That was a lot of fun."

"Ronald Billius Weasley!" Hermione scowled at the ghost.

"Oooh, middle name. Not good." Harry shook his head in sympathy for Ron.

"Just how long have you been a Ghost?" Hermione demanded, still a lot cross with being nearly scared out of her mind. She was so very lucky she had just been to the loo a few minutes before.

"Uhm, since breakfast time I think. Take a little bit of time to gather yourself together after a death I reckon." Ron shrugged as he moved to one of the free chair and gave the appearance of actually sitting on it. "Since then I have been talking to the various ghosts of the castle. Apparently there are a lot of rules to being dead, especially if you are a young ghost like me."

"Well, then I guess I can't be angry over that." Hermione harrumphed a little. "Though could you not attempt to scare us to death?"

"Sure, sure. I just couldn't resist this time. You were both so involved with your reading." Ron chuckled a little as he leaned back in the chair. "So, what are you studying? Resurrection Rituals? Time Travel? How they make Cloud flavor jelly beans? I've really wondered about that last one."

It was all Harry could do not to laugh at that last one. The emotional relief of seeing his friend continuing to exist on at least some level had dispelled quite a bit of the grief he had been carrying. So obviously he was instantly in a much better mood. Couple that with Ron's little joke and his night was pretty much made.

"The cloud flavor is a mixture of water, ozone and dust flavors." Hermone responded automatically and she got looks from the others she shrugged. "I was curious too. However we were researching just how Harry could kill a troll by kicking it's head in."

"Oooohhh. You mean why one moment he was a weak specky git and the next he makes most giants look like weak speck gits." Ronald nodded his head sagely as he stroked his chin. "Well, I kinda sorta know the answer." Ron winced as he saw the two glares he was receiving. "But that's all I can tell you. It's one of the rules. It's a biggie too. If I even try to tell you…well let's just say that when Muggles described Hell, they were talking about the nicer parts of it."

Hermione hung her head defeated at that one. Ron had already died to try to save her, asking him to go to Hell for information she could eventually find was just not right. Shaking her head she sighed heavily. "Is there anything you can tell us?"

"Hmmm, sunlight. Harry needs to get lots and lots of sunlight." Ron said after a moment of thinking. "Lady Hogwarts has already prepared a warmed sundeck for him."

"Lady Hogwarts?" Hermione raised an eyebrow and slightly amused to see Ron squirm.

"I can't tell you." Ron took on a completely apologetic look to his face. "I'm sorry, I really wish I could, but while it's not a Hell rule, it's a Hogwarts rule."

"Fine, I'll let it go." Hermione muttered in exasperation. "Can you tell us if we are on the right track?"

Ron looked through the various works on the table. Most were of nearhuman species or species interbreeding. One was on accidental magic and another was concerning channeling the gods. Seeing the assorted works he shook his head.

"Bloody hell." Harry muttered as he slammed shut a compendium of Earth's Magical species. "I could have spent this time doing my Astronomy Essay."

"That is an excellent idea, mate. Oh, and tell Professor Sinestra that I will still be joining her class." Ron nodded his head. "At least to look at the stars. I don't have enough fine control to write yet. Well, I best be off, Sir Nicholas wants to hang out. Apparently we have the same Death Day. Bye."

With those words, Ron sank through the chair and floor exiting before his two friends could even say a word.

"That's weird, Ron encouraging you to do homework." Hermione finally muttered after a bit. "Normally he won't even do it himself until last minute."

"So our friend comes back as a ghost and you think him encouraging me to do homework is the weird part?"

* * *

Harry Potter had always risen early, mostly because he was expected to do so many chores even before making breakfast. What was different this morning as he stretched his limb was the absence of so many aches and pains. Even when he had come to Hogwarts there had been pain in his bones and joint, not to mention his muscles. He chalked that up to his many, many factures and beatings. Putting his feet on floor he stood up and immediately noticed something else wrong: his pajama bottoms were no longer a few inches too long. Instead of the fabric being underfoot, it was now just barely brushing the ground. As for the top, it was getting a little tight across the shoulders.

"Must be a growth spurt from the potions." Harry muttered as quickly dismissed the oddness.

Heading off to the bathroom, he started getting ready for the day. After relieving his bladder, Harry stripped down and claimed a shower stall for himself. It was turning on the shower that clued him into the fact that he was no longer normal. Despite the spells cast to make sure that the water was the perfect temperature the first few seconds was always ice cold. Normally this was enough to cause anyone to yelp in pain and surprise. Today the cold spray hit and Harry objectively knew it was frigid, but there was no painful cold feeling. Harry could have stood under the spray with not a single worry about even shivering.

The next thing that alerted Harry to something was truly different was when he was drying off. For some unknown reason his attention wandered and he started rubbing the towel on his body as fast as he could. Harry was brought back to reality when the towel caught fire from friction. That was weird enough, but despite the fact the towel was aflame and he felt the heat, he wasn't burnt.

"What in Merlin's name is happening to me?" Harry asked open air even as he quickly tossed the towel in a sink and started dousing the flaming mass with water.

"You are awakening to your true heritage Har El." A female voice sounded behind him.

Harry immediately looked up in the mirror, but saw nothing but his own reflection. "I must be going barmy."

* * *

"There you are." The somewhat familiar voice of Molly Weasley echoed through the hallways alerting her prey just a moment too late to avoid what would be a bone crushing hug to most people. "Oh, you poor dear, having to face a troll."

"Mollywobbles, let the boy breathe." Arthur Weasley put a calming hand on his wife's shoulder.

Harry was suddenly released from the hug that he was sure could have killed someone weaker than himself. He hadn't expected this reaction out of meeting the Weasleys. Hell, given his past he expected to be blamed and for Ron's parents to want his head on a platter. What he got was a hug and warm if teary smiles. It was obvious the couple had been grieving, but still happy to see him. That confused Harry greatly as he was sure even if he had tried to save Dudley that his Aunt and Uncle would take great pleasure in killing him if he lived and Dudley hadn't.

"Sorry about that, Mr. Potter." Arthur said quickly as he hugged his wife to him. "We just wanted to thank you for avenging Ron's death."

"But if it wasn't for me…" Harry started only to feel the cold sensation of a ghost hand covering his mouth. Sure he could still talk, but why be rude.

"Harry, mate, I already told Mum and Dad everything. Including what a prat I was to Hermione." Ron said with a cheeky grin before he floated over by his mother and placed a cold hand on her other shoulder. "So, of all of us, you have the least blame."

"It's true. What my little Ronniekins said was bad enough I would have taken away desert for a month and made him clean the pigpens alone all holiday." Molly said giving her ghostly son a mild glare. "Miss Granger shouldn't have let it get to her, but what he said was still wrong. And Merlin only knows who let a Troll in. The Headmaster says he is investigating, but fears the perpetrator used passages that are unknown to him. In all of this, you carry the least blame."

"What I am interested in is how you summoned the strength to punch a troll through a wall." Arthur said with more than a little interest on his face. "If that could be taught to others…On second thought, keep the knowledge to yourself, Mr. Potter. I daresay that most Wizards are not worthy of such power."

"Please, call me Harry, Mr. Weasley." Harry nodded. He had almost blurted out that his strength was nothing he could teach another, but perhaps it was better to let some think it was special spell he knew.

"Very well, but in return you must call me Arthur and this is my wife Molly."

* * *

After the meeting with the Weasleys, Harry's life became a little more normal. Well, as normal as it could be at Hogwarts. Harry was the topic of more rumors and speculation as in just a few days he was looking much less like the ragamuffin he had been and more like a second or even third year. By the next Friday, Harry had shot up in height and now stood an impressive five foot four inches. His weight was what really threw Poppy and Hermione, despite looking like he weight a mere one hundred thirty pounds of muscle, Harry tipped the scales at over two hundred sixty pounds. Almost all of his scars were fading as well, only the inflamed scar on his forehead was still visible to the untrained. Many girls around Hogwarts began to really take notice of the Harry as more than just the young celebrity.

"I don't like how some of the witches look at me." Harry murmured as he was walking alongside Hermione on the way to Charms class. "I feel kinda like the last chocolate bar in the candy store."

"Well, it's to be expected, Harry. You've gone from a scarecrow to an Adonis." Hermione shrugged. She wasn't the least bit blind to how cute Harry was getting. She was a year older than most first years and was finding out the hard way that Witches hit puberty a bit earlier than Muggles. However, Harry was her best friend and the brother she had always wanted. Lustful thoughts were discarded as quickly as they came up, though if Neville started taking after his parents, Hermione would have to act on that. "Chalk it up to just another thing about being Harry."

"Thanks 'Mione. That was as helpful as Snape's teaching methods." Harry snarked back with no heat in his voice. "Well, I suppose it could be worse. They are just looking, no harm in that."

"Exactly. And don't think I haven't caught you staring at the seventh year Hufflepuff Prefect." Hermione chuckled softly. "But enough of that, have you been practicing the Levitation Charm?"

"Actually, yes I have been, Professor Granger. Though, I find it easier to do wandlessly than with my wand." Harry remarked as if it was an everyday occurrence. "Will I get marked down for that?"

"WHAT?"

"I can do it easier without my wand. Is there something wrong with that?" Harry was confused. It was not easy to rattle Hermione. Sure you could startle her, but if she was not surprised she tended to be unflappable. "I was practicing the wand movement with a plain stick. I lifted the pink boulder in the courtyard. It was WAY easier than trying to lift that father with my wand."

"That boulder must weight ten tons, Harry. Wandless magic is possible, but the record for a _Wingardium Leviosa_ with a wand is four tons, without is fifteen pounds." Hermione began reciting what she knew as she was processing the information Harry told her. She knew he could lie and lie well, but he had no reason to at the moment. "Were you tired after lifting the boulder?"

"No more than if I had picked it up with my hands now." Harry replied with a shrug. "It's got to be something to do with my heritage. I mean I still need the wand for transfiguration and almost all charms, not to mention the hexes we are learning in DADA."

"You lifted the pink boulder with your bare hands?" Hermione quirked an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I could hold it one handed, no problem." Harry shrugged. "I get up before everyone else and try to work out. I still can't find anything I can't lift if I really try. And don't give me that look. I started small with the stone benches."

"Harry, full grown giants can only lift a hundred tons and they are the strongest humanoids known to magic. You're telling me that you can hold a ten ton stone in one hand and not strain yourself?" Hermione shuddered. "What else have you been doing?"

"Uh, I may have talked the Quidditch team into firing bludgers at me. I got a few bruises that way, but not after the third day." Harry winced as he saw the fire in Hermione's eyes. "A Bludger is much less dangerous than a troll club."

"Point. However you are not out of trouble yet, Harrel James." Hermione huffed. "I am your best friend and smartest person you know. Any more tests and I want to be there as an observer. Or so help me I will research a way to transfigure your clothing into a speedo and do so at the worst possible time."

"Alright. Pax. You win!" Harry raised his hands in surrender. "You are a scary witch when you want to be. And the Twins are a bad influence on you."

"And don't you forget it. Superpowers or not, I will find a way to take you down a few pegs." Hermione sniffed. "And Angelina and Alicia are just as bad as the Twins."

* * *

Walking up the stairs of the Astronomy Tower, Harry was doing his best to just unwind. Charms class had been a bear for Harry, not because he found the spell difficult, but because he had accidently showed off. He had forgotten to pull his wand and levitated every feather in the room. Professor Flitwick had been so pleased he awarded twenty points. Then he suggested that Harry could help students who hadn't quite master the charm yet. Instead of just relaxing and refining his wanded Levitation, Harry was hopping from one table to another. By the time class was over, Harry was wondering what deity he had accidently offended. At least he got to beg off studying with Hermione in the library so he could decompress.

"Get off me you self buggering chavs!" a female voice echoed down the stairs, followed closely by the sound of a smack and a whimper.

Harry grimaced as he was at the very bottom of the tower and there was twenty floors to climb. Taking a deep breath he dropped his book bag and started running up the stairs as fast as his legs would carry him. Hearing another smack and cry of pain, Harry cursed and pushed himself faster. At this point something clicked in Harry and the world seemed to slow down around him as he climbed stairs. When he finally hit the top step he saw a door blocking his path and did the only thing that came to him at that moment: He ran through the door at full tilt.

Blasting through the English Oak door was as easy as tearing through paper. What he saw on the other side of the door made his blood boil. There surrounding the same seventh year Hufflepuff that Hermione had teased him about gawking at were four seventh year boys in a mix of robes Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. It did not take a genius to figure out what was going on considering the woman's torn clothing. With a snarl that would have made a goblin proud, Harry attacked.

* * *

"Time to pay the piper, Tonks." Henry Cavelish sneered as hit the wannabe Auror with a leg locker curse. The seventh year Hufflepuff had been planning this since his disaster of a date with the Metamorphmagus. He was physically brutish much like Marcus Flint, though unlike the Slytherin he actually was part troll. "You should have spread your legs for me back when I asked. I would have been gentle then."

Tonks didn't panic easily, reaching for her wand she drew it with more grace than she usually showed. Only before she could utter a word she was hit with a disarming jinx from the side. Her wand arced through the air and was snapped up by a third individual. That's when Nymphadora knew she was in serious trouble. Henry had brought a lot of backup and had crossed House lines to do it.

"So it takes six boys to take on one Witch?" Tonks prayed if she made them made they would make a mistake. "Afraid to let me have my wand?"

"Oh you'll get your wand back, bitch. After we're done it will shoved up your gaping arse." Johann Stoates was pureblood from the Netherlands, kicked out of his original school for just what he planned to do to Tonks. It was quite a shock when he was sorted to Gryffindor. Tall and lanky he resembled a younger and less pleasant Argus Filch. "Don't worry, it won't be the only present we give you."

"Shame on you Johann, spoiling the surprise." Simon Hellar chuckled as he quickly shot off a spell to bind Tonks' arms behind her. The short squat Ravenclaw had tried several times to get Tonks into his bed, each time he was humiliated worse than the last. "Ah well, we might as well inform her. Keith?"

"Ah, Nymphadora, we are about to take away your dreams, like you did mine." Keith Carrow, the cousin of the infamous Death Eaters was easily as sadistic as his idols. "Exposing my…indiscretions…cost me the position of Head Boy and my Patron. Now I will be lucky to be a clerk in the Ministry. For that your punishment is to continue our four lines. Fair, don't you think?"

"Indiscretions? You were raping fourth years." Tonks spat in Keith's face. "You're lucky I didn't just use a castration curse."

"My, My, My, such spirit even when your defenseless." Keith chuckled as he pointed his wand at her before starting an intricate pattern in the air. "I found this spell in the Restricted Section. It nullifies any birth control and makes certain at least one of your eggs with take with each man's sperm."

"You wouldn't. My father would…" Tonks sputtered as she watched the wand move. Desperate to escape she reached down in her magic and attempted to shrink out of her bonds. To her growing horror nothing happened.

"Ah, you just attempted to shift." Simon chuckled evilly. "I'm afraid that you can't at the moment. It's a shame really as there are so many women we each would like you to change into. Maybe after you are forced to marry one of us."

"Get off me you self buggering chavs!" Tonks screeched.

Hanry responded to that one with an open handed slap to Tonks' face. With his impressive strength he knocked the metamorphamagus to the ground and loosened one of her molars. Grabbing her blouse he jerked her back into a standing position before giving her another smack to the other cheek.

"Don't make me…."

Whatever Henry was going to say was interrupted by the heavy wooden door exploding outwards. Sharp slivers of wood embedded themselves in all four men's flesh, easily tearing through the robes each wore.

Tonks gaped as she saw a seething Harry Potter come to an abrupt stop just inside the door. For a brief moment she thought she was hallucinating, somehow conjuring the image of a savior in her darkest hour. However what she saw next was not something she could have ever imagined. Harry's face contorted into pure rage and he blurred into motion. Not even a second later the observation level of the Astronomy tower was liberally coated with blood and limbs separated from her attackers. Harry was standing in front of her, covered in fine blood spray.

"Are you going to be okay, Miss?"

Tonks did the only sensible thing anyone her age could do, she fainted.

* * *

Harry was sitting on the hospital bed next to Nymphadora's keeping vigil. He had good reason as the four attempted rapists were all alive and resting in beds of their own. There was no way in hell he was going to leave her alone in the infirmary with only Poppy as a defense. Professor Sprout had found it commendable as had Flitwick and McGonagall. Oddly Snape had not said a word. The real obstacle was the Headmaster.

"Mr. Potter, I am ordering you back to your Dormitory." Albus Dumbledore was not in the least happy with his pawn at the moment. He was becoming more independent and willful, something that would ruin every plan the Leader of the Light had. "Rest assured that Miss Tonks is safe here."

"She'll be safe when she is awake and can file a statement, Headmaster. Until then I am not leaving her side." Harry looked deeply into the old man's eyes. While he did not often defy the Dursely's, the times he had he had been intractable in his resolve. Sure it earned him more lashes, but it was always worth it.

"Mr. Potter, there will be no charges filed. I have spoken with the four young men. They were merely helping Miss Tonks with a performance piece." Even Dumbledore did not buy that line. Luckily once Harry left the young woman's side, Albus could obliviate her and plant the memories. It would not do for Hogwarts' reputation to be tarnished. "As it is I am forgoing punishment seeing as you believed Miss Tonks to be in danger."

"Sir, with all due respect if they told you that, they were lying." Harry replied evenly. While part of him was screaming at him to just trust the Headmaster, a larger part was telling him he could not back down. "Miss Tonks was under a Leglock jinx and her arms were bound behind her back. In addition there were massive bruises forming on her face and according to Madam Pomfrey two of her molars were loosened. That is not the actions of someone helping her with a 'performance piece.' Until Miss Tonks wakes and gives her statement I am not leaving her side. Do not attempt to force me."

Thwarted again Albus almost reached for his wand, but subdued that impulse. Instead he extended a tendril of leglimancy through Harry's eyes. Almost immediately he regretted it. Whereas two weeks ago he could easily read Harry's surface thought, it was impossible now. Oh, he could see the thoughts plain as day, but deciphering them was impossible. Instead of the thought patterns of nearly every sentient species, Harry's thoughts were so rapid and complex that he was sure he could spend decades trying to decipher one, let alone the multitudes he saw. Drawing back from the alien mind, Albus just offered the grandfatherly smile.

"I must commend you, Mr. Potter. In your position and with the facts you know, I would likely do the same as you." Dumbledore was no fool. He knew when to cut losses, especially as a small scandal now would pay dividends later when he had Harry's trust. "Perhaps, I am jaded in that I think no student would lie to me. I shall wait until Miss Tonks awakes and I hear her version of the events. As she has no vested interest in escaping punishment her account should be less biased I imagine. You may of course stand vigil until that time."

* * *

"I want a meeting with the entire House. NOW!" Severus Snape bellowed as he entered the Slytherin Common room, cape billowing behind him. What he had seen in the Infirmary had disturbed him, especially after probing Mr. Carrow's mind. While he was a murderer and torturer, he drew the line at rape. Not that many Death Eaters had, only himself Lucius and Bella seemed repulsed by that crime. Drawing himself back to the present he noticed that his entire House was present except the elder Carrow. "As you will learn in the next few days, Mr. Potter has gravely injured Mr. Carrow…"

"…And you want us to make Scarhead's life miserable?" Draco Malfoy finished hopefully.

"No. You will not confront Mr. Potter over this." Severus snarled. There were several gasps of shock at this. It was well known that Snape hated Harry Potter. Ignoring the looks of surprise Professor Snape continued."Mr. Potter was defending the virtue of Miss Tonks. It would seem that Mr. Carrow took it in his mind to make Miss Tonk bear him a child against her will. Once broken, he planned to use the servus secus on her. All because he wanted to punish her for exposing his crimes."

"How did Harry Potter injure our dear second cousin?" Hestia Carrow asked, but it was clear in her tone that she would slit Keith's throat if given the chance.

"Well, Miss Carrow, Mister Potter tore off Mr. Carrow's wand arm at the shoulder, proceeded to cauterize the wound with a simple fire charm, then he broke eight of his ribs." Snape said casually. "His arm has been reattached and his ribs have been fused back together. He should be under your tender mercies in a few days. I fear however that he will not live the month, understand?"

"Perfectly." Hestia and Flora responded in eerie unison.

"Professor Snape, I wish to help the Carrows in their time of need." Draco said after a moment. "After all, family helps family."

"Denied, Mr. Malfoy. However you might be interested to note that Mr. Carrow had help." Severus' dismissive tone was not to be argued with. "Simon Hellar of Ravenclaw, Johann Stoates of Gryffindor and Henry Cavelish of Hufflepuff. I expect that Mr Stoates and Mr Cavelish will be having fatal accidents soon. Mr Hellar, however, is largely untouchable in Ravenclaw, but I am sure you can help him out there."

"Very well." Draco nodded. He might not like his cousin all that much, but family always avenges family.

"And I expect that everyone in MY HOUSE, respect the rules I have set forth. If I even hear of another incident like this I will set Mr. Potter loose upon you with the claim that you killed Miss Granger." With that message seeping into his charges' minds the Potion Master left for his office.

"I think I just messed myself." Gregory Goyle summed up the thoughts of the entire Slytherin House in just six words.


	3. Quidditch and Consequences

_Nymphadora Tonks: What is the big idea?_

 _Scott the Wanderer: Well, I needed to show a few things. Sorry you were exposed to that._

 _Tonks: You are so lucky you had Harry save me the way you did. ~wand tip glowing~_

 _Scott: You know that hexing the writer does not work, right?_

 _Tonks: Oh, I know. But hexing your laptop…_

 _Scott: Okay, Okay, I give, I give. What do you want?_

 _Tonks: ~fingers tapping her chin~ I think you already know what I want._

 _Scott: Fine, but you give the disclaimer_

 _Tonks: Scott the Wanderer does not own Harry Potter, Smallville, DC Comics or anything you recognize._

* * *

DalkonCledwin:

Harry will not be quite as strong as his brother, but you're still right. Harry is in a league all his own as far as the wizarding world is concerned.

Harry's animagus form will be interesting I promise. Drangs look like fun, but no promises.

I'm trying to minimize the impact of DC Heroes on the Wizarding World. Though there is room for the two people you mentioned, much later in the story. Though they may be mentioned earlier.

Yeah, but I am going with the AI's being buggy technological attempts at recreating the Kryptonian version of a Magic Painting.

Yeah, and he is not even at full exaggerated density yet.

Yeah, Jor El was considered one of the most intelligent biologic beings in the 28 Known galaxies. Only some New Gods and the Oan Guardians were considered smarter. Lara and Par his wives are just a brilliant so neither Kal nor Har are dumb in any sense of the word. Though they certainly act that way at times.

Hermione has some access to information she doesn't even know she knows. It will come out later and no, I am not letting Par speak to her

I always like writing a smart Snape, even if I make him a miscreant. This one is Evil, but still has lines he will not cross. Sure he'll torture a muggle to death, but never commit a rape willingly. And while part of his cover is to recruit new Death Eaters among the Slytherins he wants them to be more like him than say Nott Sr, the Lestrange brothers, or Greyback.

Joe Lawyer : I am trying to keep it interesting my mixing the two world styles.

robert32514: thank you

: The Weasleys were on STRONG Calming Draughts and seeing their Son continue to exist helped a little. They are grieving heavily in private, and did not want to subject Harry to that. The Twins are enjoying the fruits of having a Ghost brother and it is helping them get over it, though they too are grieving private. Same with Percy.

Lordamnesia: Thank you

Toaneo07 Ver2.0: hope that is a good wow

VizeerLord: Was it Har El's parentage, his arrival on Earth, or was it why he was powerless for so long? The last has to do with story elements that will come up

davycrockett100: Thank you

Penny is wise: I always believed Draco took after Narcissa in that way. Family is important, even if they aren't close. Plus it is a matter of you can't let people hurt your family and get away with it. As for Tonks and Harry, she'll help him on everything but the most intimate. At this point she is gonna go Big Sister on him.

TenchiSolutionsForAll: The challenger is Tonks shipper too, but sorry to say this is Veela only. Tonks will be lik the big sister. As for Ghost!Ron, he is not plagued by jealousy that living Ron was, mostly because he knows even if he can't speak about it. The door exploding is just a visual, I know technically it would be called an implosion, but people immediately think of something collapsing on itself when they hear/read implode. Hermione did indeed say Harrel and in the future you will know why she did.

Mattcun: and done

discb: Yeah, I borrowed the concept from a Smallville/X-men crossover. Kryptonian minds are to human minds what a human mind is to an ant's. Dumbledore knows there are thoughts there and can even see them, but understanding them…not possible

Lokarryn: I like to write Snape as either completely diabolic evil or as someone who has a code. In this Snape might be Dark and Evil, but there are lines he will not cross. Same with Lucius and Bellatrix (though the latter has far fewer compunctions rape being one of the few)

* * *

" _Terra is one of the lynchpins of the universe. Like New Genesis, Apokalips, and Oa, the events that occur on Terra have far reaching consequences. Nobody has ever been able to determine the reason for this. After all, Terra is a backwater planet whose dominant species has only barely made it to their singular moon. However, the truth of the situation cannot be denied, Terra has great cosmic importance. Why else would the El family show interest." Jor El_

* * *

Nymphadora Tonks had recovered from shock induced unconsciousness with her memories intact. Her report to the Headmaster and the Heads of House was more than enough to have the DMLE brought in. Unfortunately, despite overwhelming evidence, the four would be rapists were released on bond as their families had connections and the funds to 'post bail'. Many understood that the supposed bail bonds were just bribes to keep the gits out of Azkaban. The trial was set for the end of November, though nobody really expected justice to prevail in the Wizengamot. As it was each of the Hogwarts houses lost two hundred points, placing them in the negative for the actions of the four idiots. Gryffindor was credited one hundred and fifty for Harry's actions in stopping the attack, while Hufflepuff had all two hundred restored for Tonk's bravery and sense of fair play.

"So, let's see. You are unbelievably strong, tougher than giant skin, and faster than a speeding stupefy." Tonks, who had suitably impressed upon Harry and Hermione that her first name was forbidden, listed off Harry's obvious powers. She was still amazed that the ickle Harrikens she saw being sorted was now this budding hunk, let along what she saw him do. "Did I miss anything?"

"He lifted the pink boulder in the courtyard wandlessly. He may not look it but he weighs a little less than nineteen stone. He doesn't suffer from cold or heat like we do. He's fireproof. He heals extraordinarily fast." Hermione started listing off things Harry had mentioned and finished with an observation of her own. "Finally, he's developed a full Eidetic Memory. He corrected me on a passage in Hogwarts: A History."

"Yep, that's me." Harry shook his head sadly. "The biggest freak in the castle."

"Oi! You say that like it's a bad thing. If you weren't the way you are, I'd have been gang-raped and maybe obliviated of it." Tonks scowled at her newest friend for his negativity. Shaking her head she let out a long sigh. "So, if you are going to call yourself a freak it better be as a joke or with a smile, got it? You do not want to get on my badside."

"What are you gonna do? Spank me." Harry impishly chuckled.

"No, I'd flash you." Tonks grinned evilly. "A Miss Johnson informed me of how red you get in the locker-room after Quidditch practice."

"Well, certainly safer than trying to spank him." Hermione shook her head. She had loosened up a lot after some of the upper years had taken her under-wing. "I punched him in the shoulder, almost broke my knuckle and he never noticed."

"But is it really a deterrent? And I may get redder than tomato, but I enjoy the view." Harry smirked.

"I will morph into Albus Dumbledore before I do it." Tonks smiled evilly as both of her new friends paled almost ashen white. It was good to be a shapeshifter with a pranking side.

* * *

Simon Hellar was for the second time in his life afraid. Somehow, Draco Malfoy had acquired a great deal of help in sneaking into his Dorm room. Simon recognized quite a few of the 7th year Slytherins and one or two 6th year Ravenclaws despite the fact he was hanging upside down by his ankles. Malfoy for his part did very little other than direct the upper years to action.

"Simon, Simon, Simon…Did you really think House Black would not respond to your attack?" Draco was having a bit of fun channeling his father as he paced in front of the bound Simon Hellar. Normally he projected a much weaker front outside of Slytherin so he was underestimated. "Did you think you would escape punishment? A second son of a Lesser House attacking the Daughter of a Most Ancient and Most Noble House? I thought you were a Ravenclaw."

"That halfblood bitch is from a disowned branch, she means nothing to House Black." Simon tried to bluster.

Draco took the beater's bat from Marcus and swung, the reinforced and specially charmed bat cracked one of Simon's ribs. Simon of course screamed out a few obscenities.

"Simon, do not call my cousin a Bitch again or I will turn this over to Flint. He had the idea to polyjuice you into a girl and make you truly suffer, but it was too close to a line I would rather not cross." Draco snarled. "Andromeda was never fully disowned. Grandmother didn't have the power. So, Nymphadora is indeed a Black, Halfblood or not."

Simon was too busy wimpering in pain to respond.

"Now, Simon, Nymphadora might not be my favorite person, but she is blood. For that, by the time I am done, you will wish Potter had killed you." Draco grinned ferally. "And then your Ravenclaw year mates will heal you, and hex you so you can never speak of this. I will return tomorrow night and we will do this again and again until justice is served."

All Simon knew after that was pain, pure unadulterated and unending pain that he was not allowed to escape from.

"Who knew you could be hardcore like that, Draco?" Marcus Flint shivered dramatically as he entered the Slytherin common room a few hours later. "I almost feel sorry for anyone who crosses Slytherin when you take the reins."

"That wasn't really Draco." Pansy Parkinson sighed as rubbed her friend's back. "It was a dose of Cold Heart and a pensieve memory of his father handling a similar attack on his younger sister."

"BLLAAARGH!" Draco vomited up everything he ate in the last day into the charmed waste can. "I wish it was just the way my Father dealt with it. He tricked me and gave me the memory of the actual attack as well. BLLAAARGH!"

"Bugger." Flint shook his head. "Am I ever glad your Father doesn't know me."

* * *

"You really should eat something." Ron said as he watched his still living friend stare at a plate of food. "I know you are nervous, but you need the energy."

Harry suppressed the urge to snap that he wasn't hungry. First it would be cruel and second it wasn't true. He was starving, but his stomach was rolling with nerves. He'd barely choked down his Nutrient Potion. He was just thankful that unless they were poisoned, they were impossible to vomit.

"He'd clearly nervous, Ronald. The Twins and their stories are not helping him either." Hermione Granger was reading Quidditch through the Ages. If her friend was going to be a Seeker, she was going to be informed about the game. "I doubt this book helped him either."

"Like he has a reason to be scared." Ron scoffed. "You saw what happened to the bludger that hit him in the back of the head."

"Yes, it knocked Harry out for a minute and it had to be pried off his head." Hermione shook her head. "He was mildly concussed as well."

"It isn't the danger involved." Harry decided to stop this before it became 'funniest Harry hit by a Bludger' story contest. "I'm…I've never been part of a team. In kickball, I was never chosen. Once team selection got to me, they just went and played…without me. What if I lose?"

"Then you lose, no big deal." Tonks sat across the table from Harry and plopped down a cup half full of a chalky pink liquid in front of Harry. "Cedric has been Hufflepuff Seeker for three years. He made Best Seeker last year and only caught the snitch half the time. Now drink that and eat some toast and eggs. You'll need it to beat Slytherin."

"Alright." Harry took the cup and downed the pink brew noting that it didn't taste horrible. Feeling his stomach settle he started to nibble on some toast.

"What kind of potion is that?" Hermione asked before she took the cup and sniffed. "Pepto Bismol?"

"Even wizards can't improve on Pepto." Tonks chuckled. "I swear I went through a bottle of this a week during OWL year."

* * *

"Aren't you going to wear the seeker armor, Harry?" Oliver Wood asked as he walked through the locker-room. When he noticed the rest of the team look at him with some bemusement, he quickly realized why he suddenly felt like the village idiot. "Right. Sorry. Habit is hard to break."

"It's alright. Rather you worry about us than not care." Harry replied as he grabbed the Nimbus 2000. He'd tested it out and found despite his additional mass, the broom handled just the same as before. He just had to remember to go easy. "Did you discuss my idea with everyone?"

"Well, I did find it interesting. I spent half the evening looking through the rules and found nothing that prohibits it." Oliver sighed as he scratched the back of his neck. "We just haven't had time to create plays off of the idea, but if you see and opening, go for it."

"Alright." Harry nodded as he pulled on the special fingerless dragonhide gloves. He really didn't need the protection, but the straps involved secured his sleeves in order to minimize wind resistance.

*Wood cleared his throat for silence. "Okay, men," he said.

"And women," said Chaser Angelina Johnson.

"And women," Wood agreed. "This is it."

"The big one," said Fred Weasley.

"The one we've all been waiting for," said George.

"We know Oliver's speech by heart," Fred told Harry, "we were on the team last year."

"Shut up, you two," said Wood. "This is the best team Gryffindor's had in years. We're going to win. I know it." He glared at them all as if to say, 'Or else.' "Right. It's time. Good luck, all of you."

Harry followed Fred and George out of the locker room and, hoping his knees weren't going to give way, walked onto the field to loud cheers.

Madam Hooch was refereeing. She stood in the middle of the field waiting for the two teams, her broom in her hand. "Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you," she said, once they were all gathered around her. Harry noticed that she seemed to be speaking particularly to the Slytherin Captain, Marcus Flint, a sixth year. Harry thought Flint looked as if he had some troll blood in him.*

Harry took up position high above what was the plane of skirmish and waited with bated breath for the signal to being play. Looking briefly through the stands he saw that he the Gryffindor stands had banners cheering him on in particular. He had to admit he liked the 'Potter for President' that was flashing from Red to Gold and back. He saw he had a lot supporters in Hufflepuff including Tonks who got the boys to paint themselves gold with red lettering to spell out: 'Harry is our Hero'. In fact the only tower that wasn't cheering him on was Slytherin, but from what he understood it was solely due to house unity.

"Hope you're prepared to lose Potter." Terence Higgs, the Slytherin Seeker jeered at him as he too took up a high position. "Don't worry, we'll only beat you by a few hundred points."

Harry just ignored the older seeker. From what he heard, Higgs was good, but it was really the Chasers who managed to win the Cup for Slytherin the last few years. All he had to do was catch the Snitch before the Slytherins ran up too many goals. Or, if Slytherin was really unlucky, use the trump card. Madam Pomfrey had been quite clear that she would not be upset if for once Slytherins came off the worse for wear. That was saying something as the Mediwitch was a Slytherin alumni.

Madam Hooch released the Golden Snitch, which immediately flew up and around both Higg and Harry's heads before zooming off. As drilled into them, the two seekers stayed dead still on their brooms. Reaching for the Snitch before the Quaffle was tossed earned the Seeker an explusion from the team. Moments later the bludgers were released followed by the Quaffle being tossed. The Chasers and Beaters on both sides exploded into action.

Harry was paying only half attention to the game below him, keeping most of his attention scanning the entire pitch for the golden Snitch. Even with his improved vision he hadn't spotted it yet, and he was feeling useless. He hated feeling useless, even when his only use seemed to be chores for the Dursleys, Harry had preferred the times when he could do something to the times he was idle. Now, that there was something he could do for fun, he wanted to make the most of it.

"Already thirty to ten." Terrance taunted from broom back as he started circling Harry. "Oooh that had to hurt. Looks like one of your Chasers has a pretty hard head. Must be from all the times it's hit the headboard serving her betters."

Harry wanted to tune out Terrence, but comments like that slipped in. If it wasn't for the calming exercises Tonks had taught him, he would have punched Higgs. Instead he deployed the answer she had taught him to repeat. "Well, she can't be a pillow biter like you."

Higgs almost fell off his broom, mostly from shock of the excellent comeback, but also a little bit of trying to restrain his laughter. He didn't really dislike Potter like some in his house did. He was just playing the same mind games that all Seekers played with each other. Apparently, Potter had been given lessons. Any response Higgs might have had died out when he saw the Snitch, and with the way Harry's eyes had twitched he'd seen it too.

Higgs was off like a shot. Higgs prided himself on owning a Comet 300, which for a while had been the fastest brooms on the racing market. He'd had it properly tuned by his father and the difference between his broom and a Nimbus 2000 was as little as 10mph. So it was with a great deal of awe he saw Harry Potter take off a second after him, pass him and was half a broom length ahead. Harry Potter was pushing his Nimbus 2000 well past it's limit.

Bludgers were sent flying at the two Seekers as soon as it was clear they were chasing the Snitch. Higgs cursed as one of the iron balls clipped against his shoulder-pad. It would have nailed him in the ribs if he hadn't jinked at the last moment. Seeing Potter pull further ahead, the Slytherin Seeker pushed his broom harder than he would have against Diggory. When Harry had to jink around a bludger that would have hit his broom, Higgs caught his lucky break and was now neck and neck with the younger player.

The race for the Snitch was in full swing as the animated golden ball zoomed through the hectic play of the chasers. Harry was just starting to get a lead when seemingly out of nowhere; Marcus Flint careened direly into his flight path. Completely knocked off course, Harry spun away barely getting his broom back under control before he slammed into the Hufflepuff tower. Immediately Professor Hooch called a foul. All four Towers were booing, though in the Slytherins' case they were booing Hooches call. If it had come a moment later, Higgs could have had the snitch.

In the confusion of arranging the penalty shot, both Harry and Higgs had completely lost the Snitch. Both seeker were reduced to just flying Eagle and attempting to regain sight of the elusive ball. The battle between the Chasers heated up considerably with both teams displaying some amazing teamwork. The action was so fast and furious that most of the crowd were drawn in and overlooked the two Seekers.

"Where could it be?" Harry whispered to himself as he concentrated on trying to find any sign of the Snitch. He was more than a little angry with himself on how he allowed Marcus Flint to just slam him off course. Of course the other option would have severely hurt the Slytherin Captain. He was so absorbed with finding the Snitch and blaming himself for losing it, that he didn't notice his broom was starting to act funny, though when it suddenly inverted he did.

Unprepared for the sudden roll of his Broom, Harry was holding on by only his hands. He was conscious enough not to squeeze with his whole might, but he was holding on for dear life. The innate fear of falling most beings had overwhelmed his common sense. Otherwise he would have known a hundred foot drop to grassy earth was less dangerous than being punched through a stone wall. As he hung from the malfunctioning broom it began to shake, swerve wildly and otherwise try to buck him off. When that was proving difficult the broom started lurching upwards, higher and higher.

"Bollocks!" Harry muttered. "Just my luck I get the one defective Nimbus 2000."

Looking around to see if there would be any help, Harry noticed that Higgs had caught sight of the snitch and was angling for it. The golden ball was flying just ten feet from pitch surface below Harry. Quickly making a decision he let go fo the wildly bucking broom and twisted his body around into a dive. Qudditch rules stated that as long as a Seeker was airborne a catch was legal. Harry was hoping that he could grab the ball before he hit the ground.

There was a stadium wide scream of fear as Harry Potter took a swan dive off his broom at two hundred feet. Some thought the broom had finally shook him off. However, two girls and one ghost who knew Harry pretty well were sure he had done it on purpose. Everyone watched as Harry angled his body reach one hand forward in an attempt to catch the snitch. A few of the students absently noted he was falling faster than freefall as he plunged towards the Earth. A moment later Harry impacted into the ground with a resounding WHUMP!

The scene was surreal, Harry Potter's feet were sticking out of the ground as the boy had literally drove himself into the ground. Immediately Hooch, who had watch the whole thing play out blew the whistle to pause the game. As brooms came to a rest in the air, it was a race to see who got to Harry's side first: Hagrid, Flitwick, McGonagall, Tonks, Granger or the Weasley Twins. By virtue of being on brooms, the Twins won and were quickly trying to vanish the soil around Harry, something that was a good three years ahead of their supposed education level. By the time Hagrid arrived, well ahead the others, Harry's lower legs were visible. With a might yank, the Groundskeeper pulled an unharmed but extremely dirty Harry out of the ground. Almost immediately, Harry coughed up the Snitch with he had almost swallowed.

* * *

As is so very often the case, the Quidditch match ended with one Captain trying to contest the ruling.

"He was not on a broom!" Marcus Flint barely kept from truly yelling at Madam Hooch. Oh he wanted to, but upsetting the only completely neutral faculty member could be bad for Slytherin.

"The official ruling is as long he is airborne the catch is legal. It wouldn't matter if he was riding a bludger." Madam Hooch countered.

"But he didn't catch it, he nearly swallowed it." Flint tried again.

"It wouldn't matter if he caught it with his arse crack." Hooch responded with a small grin at the way Flint flinched. "He restrained the Snitch without container or magic. It's valid. Gryffindor wins."

* * *

"HARRY JAMES POTTER!" Tonks and Hermione were yelling in eerie unison at their friend. "HOW DARE YOU DO THAT! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME? I NEARLY HAD A STROKE! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? SCRATCH THAT, I KNOW YOU WEREN'T THINKING!"

"Now I know why people are weirded out when we do that Fred." The self identified George said as he watch the two witches hug Harry, then borrow their Beater bats to give him head smacks afterwards, then hug him again.

"Yes, but at least we don't try to smack people with Beater's bats." Fred nodded. "Though, we do the hugging thing on occasion."

"Mr. Potter. I realize you are far more durable than the average student, but I pray you will refrain from such incidents in the future unless life and limb are on the line." Professor McGonagall managed to put the almost literal fear of death into Harry with her glare. Seeing the young man wilt a little, she sighed. "Congratulation on winning the match, Harry. I suspect once Madam Pomfrey checks you over there will be a rather large celebration in the common room.

* * *

"Diving off your broom at two hundred feet?" Madam Pomfrey had vanished the dirt and grass from Harry and his uniform with just a flick of her wand. A moment later she was performing diagnostic spells. "What were you thinking?"

"He wasn't." Hermone growled from Harry's side.

"I'll have you know I was thinking." Harry replied, just a little hurt that being read the riot act for not getting hurt. "I was thrown through a stone wall and only had bruises. A magically reinforced wall I might add. Some dirt was not going to kill me."

"No, but what if you suffocated while you were buried in the yard like a tent stake?" Tonks was on his other side giving him a stern glare.

"What it would take you more than a day to get to him?" Ron Weasley had been floating behind Poppy. He had watched the game through the telescopes on the astronomy tower, like all the other ghosts did.

"Ronald, it only takes five minutes without oxygen for the human brain to suffer damage." Hermione rattled off. "It took us three minutes to reach him, despite sprinting."

"True. But, Harry was more than safe." Ron shrugged as he wanted to correct Hermione, but he did not like the thought of the Place of Infinite Teletubbies. He certainly was not going to risk being placed there for intentional disclosure of what he learned from Harry's parents. "You got him out of the ground in plenty of time."

"Well, according to my spells you have suffered no injuries whatsoever, Mr. Potter. Not even a hangnail." Poppy frowned. "However, I suggest you restrain yourself from doing anything quite so foolhardy during Quidditch again. Who knows if your strange abilities might just cease working some day."

Harry blanched at that thought. If he was normal, he'd be a tomato colored greasy stain on the field. He suddenly couldn't be even a little angry that Hermione and Tonks were treating him like they were. He'd do the same to them if they endangered their lives.

"I'm sorry. Can't say it won't happen again, but I won't do it purposely for stupid reasons." Harry said after a few moments.

"That's all we ask." Tonks nodded. "So can we spring the human lawn dart?"

"After he drinks a nutrient potion and some Liquid Sun." Poppy said as she summoned the two bottles from the storage cabinet. "Now, Mr. Potter, I want you to rest this evening. Unless life and limb is on the line do not confront any Trolls, Giants, Dragons, or pieces of Human-Filth. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am." Harry nodded as he took the potions. He did not mind drinking these potions as to him even the Liquid Sun tasted pretty good.


	4. Study groups, Secrets, & Slytherin acts

_Hermione Granger: I see you have come around t updating this tale. I must ask, was it necessary to traumatize me with Ronald's death?_

 _Scott the Wanderer: Well, would you prefer to be the one to fuel Harry's recovery of his powers?_

 _Hermione: As much as I would like to have the moral high ground, no I rather enjoy living. Though Ron seems to be enjoying whatever he is._

 _Scott: Caught on to that, have you._

 _Hermione: Well, I am very well read. Ron seems to possess some of the powers of a Poltergeist. And he seems to enjoy normal food, something the other ghosts don't._

 _Scott: Well, just don't give it away. I like building a bit of suspense._

 _Hermione: Alright, now in this story will I be getting a boyfriend?_

 _Scott: Yes, I promise you will be very happy._

 _Hermione: Well, I am exceedingly happy in No Good Deed Goes Unpunished and despite being blind Undead Slayer. I will trust you. Scott the Wanderer does not own Harry Potter, DC Comics, or Smallville._

 _Scott: Thank you, Miss Granger._

* * *

Smokeing chapter 3 . May 20 : Thank you, I am hoping to make this an epic saga

Cateagle chapter 3 . May 20: Yeah, I got the feeling Madam Pomfrey would seriously violate her Hippocratic Oath if she didn't know the rapists would be dealt with. As for Draco, I am trying not to go one dimensional with him. He will probably never be a nice guy, but he doesn't have to be a stupid villain either

Guest chapter 3 . May 19: Thank you

Zeus795 chapter 3 . May 19: Always glad to make people laugh

Lycan chapter 3 . May 18: And more is on the way

mattcun chapter 3 . May 17: Of course, I cannot disappoint my readers

Joe Lawyer chapter 3 . May 16: Actually, the problem with the concept of the people dealing with the Death Eaters is that really most of the people who could, were killed. And the ones left who could are firmly under Albus "Give them another chance" Dumbledore

Well, the thing with that is the Challenger and I agree that Megamatt as a corner on the Harry/Kara stories. There are many, many of them. Besides, I think it would be funnier to have Cougar Kara and one of Harry's Sons in the epilogue

Oh yeah, plus part of the reason Smallville Clark couldn't fly was his wish to be a normal person like his parents. Harry at the moment is being conditioned by Tonks and Hermione to think different is good

geetac chapter 3 . May 16: Thank you so much. I am trying to blend the styles of Harry Potter, Smallville, and Lois and Clark a bit have it serious, whimsical, and some comedy at the same time. Hopefully it will work.

The chapters were so very good.

DalkonCledwin chapter 3 . May 16:

Yeah, hormones do strange things to Krytonians, lol

Oh that is just wrong, just wrong I tell you. "Cause of death: Hypersonic half digested Treacle Tart."

Draco, was puffing it up a bit to seem even more important.

Yeah, though if Draco become a semi-good guy he could make a motion in Wizengamot that rapist have to be subjected to pensieve memories of the rape.

Yeah, that will cause problems later. Might need a rule reworking.

You'll see in this chapter

Konp chapter 3 . May 16: Hermione is not quite normal either. She has access to information that she doesn't even know she knows. She is not a seer nor is Luna, but they know things. As for Harry and other girls, well yeah it is gonna happen, he's hot, famous, and nice. More than one girl is gonna drag him to a Broom Closet. Luckily I do not prescribe to the whole Hancock and sex thing…lol

lordamnesia chapter 3 . May 16: Thank you, hopefully I can keep it that way.

Seth Clearwater chapter 3 . May 16: Glad you did

Penny is wise chapter 3 . May 16: Yes, Tonks humor strike again.

frankieu chapter 3 . May 16: Hermione, like a certain blonde Ravenclaw, knows things, but it's pretty random. And Harry will likely start his own team, if only to handle just the things targeting those he loves.

TenchiSolutionsForAll chapter 3 . May 16: Spitting up the Snitch was pure brilliance on JKR's part and it begged to be put in there.

A Superman villain will likely make an appearance in this story, but not until after Voldie

Well, two out three epics ain't bad and I might have a fourth as a challenge I made will not leave my head. As for what Hermione knows, she has access to knowledge even she doesn't know. I will say she is one hundred percent Earthling and has had no Alien influences at all. Same with a certain spacey Blonde who will be a first year Ravenclaw next year.

* * *

"Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione asked as she saw the slight dazed look in Harry's eyes. Normally, at breakfast he was quite alert and focused, ready to take on the day.

"I, uh, broke my bed." Harry murmured as he dished himself up a bowl of oatmeal and grabbed a few rashers of bacon because he knew Hedwig would come for her treat soon.

"I told you to quit jumping on it. You've put on another five stone; though how, I am not sure." Hermione huffed as she turned back to her eggs and sausage. "You'll just have to apologize to Professor McGonagall so she'll fix it."

"I didn't jump on it. Last time I did, I accidentally cracked the plaster on the ceiling. Don't worry I reparo'd the ceiling." Harry said cutting off Hermione before she could ask. "According to Neville I was floating six feet above my bed while I was asleep. When I woke up, I fell on the bed and broke it. McGonagall already repaired it and transfigured it into steel for me after Neville told her it wasn't really my fault."

"You were floating above your bed?" Hermione gawped for a moment then a serene look passed over her face. "That is only natural I suppose. You do have extraordinary powers over how gravity affects you."

"What?"

"What?" Hermione shook herself out of her seeming trance. "It only makes sense. Despite the fact you now weigh twenty five stone, the practice brooms behave as if you only weigh ten at the most. When you took your nose dive off your Nimbus you were falling faster than free fall. It might just be part of your powers."

"Great, just more to set me apart." Harry mumbled looking down into oatmeal feeling more than a twinge of self pity. "So, what is on the docket today?"

"Well, it's your favorite." Hermione replied sarcastically. "Double Potions and Defense."

"Joy." Harry deadpanned. "Tell me we have something fun lined up afterwards."

"Well, I have formed a study group with several other girls. I am certain I could invite you." Hermione offered with a shrug. "It might make the potions essay more bearable if we all did it together."

* * *

"Potter, I will need to see you after class." Severus Snape ground out between clenched teeth as he saw the absolutely perfect potion that Harry had turned in. While he wished he could be a vindictive ass and mark it as a Troll, he had long ago vowed to grade all potions fairly. With a grimace he added an O to the books, one of three earned by the Gryffindors that day. Though, how Miss Brown managed it was beyond him. "Miss Granger can stay if you desire a witness."

"I think I should be safe enough." Harry said after a moment and nodded to Hermione who had been waiting by the door for him. After she left he turned his attention back to Snape. "I hope you're not wondering why I am suddenly doing better in class, because it is rather embarrassing."

"While I did find myself curious as to your sudden improvement it occurred to me that you were no longer holding yourself back to placate the late Mr. Weasley." Severus stood up as he motioned to his personal supply closet. "I merely wished to return your broom to you. Unlike most of the faculty I had noticed that someone had bewitched it in what was obviously futile attempt to murder you. While I was struggling with the counter curse you made your rather controversial Snitch capture. I would have returned it to you sooner, but I wanted to be thorough in making certain there were no other Dark Magicks impeding its function."

"T-thank you, Professor." Harry half stuttered over the words as he took the broom back. He had been practicing on a Comet 240 as he had no idea where his Nimbus was. After inspecting it for a moment he could not help the curiosity.

"Sir, I was under the impression you hated me. Why try to save my life?"

"Ah, you are suffering from a misconception. I hated your father. Your mother was a dear friend until I foolishly ruined that in a fit of anger." Severus sighed. "Despite the hatred between myself and James Potter, your father saved my life and for that I owed him a life debt, one that transferred to you. Even if that was not the case, I would not have let Lily's child die if I could help it. You may go."

"Thank you, sir." Harry said before he turned to leave.

"Oh, and Mr. Potter; I was asked by the Carrow Twins to inform you that Mr. Carrow has passed away through no fault of yours." Snape added as Harry was at the door. "They mentioned something about wishing they could properly thank you for keeping their cousin from reproducing."

Snape smirked to himself as he saw the son of his hated rival stiffen a bit. Oh, Severus knew the Carrow twins only meant their message in the best of ways, but he had to have his fun somehow. Making Potter sweat about possible retribution made him smile.

* * *

"Tonks, can we talk a moment?" Hestia Jones, sixth year Ravenclaw, had finally cornered her mentor in all things boy related. Unlike most Hogwarts students, she had been forced to start at eight years old thanks to a rare condition that accelerated the maturity of her core. Thus she really had nothing in common with her year mates. The only friend she had in the whole school was Tonks. "You've been spending a lot of time with Harry Potter. There are rumors going around that you and Hermione Granger formed some sort of coven around him." Hestia wilted a bit as she saw Tonks' annoyed glare. "I told them that was preposterous, he's too young for your rule on dating. I mean you're a legal adult and well Harry's eleven even if he looks a very yummy thirteen."

"Perving on a first year, Hestia?" Tonks' featured softened as she teased her friend.

"No. No! No. Absolutely not!...Yes." Hestia was a terrible liar and as she went through her denials she realized just how pathetically obvious she was. "He was so adorable getting sorted and then, well whatever happened when he killed that Troll and then he saved you. Oh my, he is a little hottie. But he's a firsty! I shouldn't be thinking about him like that."

"Hestia, your fourteen, if not for that weird fluke you'd be a third year." Nymphadora shrugged. "In the sliding Marauder Dating Rule, he's within your age range by the skin of those perfect white teeth of his. Is it terrible that I am a bit jealous?"

"No, not really. I heard a few of the seventh year Gryffindor girls wishing they were you or Granger." Hestia chuckled as she tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "He isn't into Granger, is he?"

"No, he's very intent on being the overprotective Little Brother to Hermione and me." Tonks chuckled as she reviewed the situation in her mind. At the time she had not been thrilled that Harry glowered at Connor Finnegan until the Irish flirt had fled in fear, but looking back and seeing he had done similar to McLaggan when the braggart was talking up Hermione had made the gesture sweet and a little funny. "So you're all clear to pursue the Boy-Who-Lived."

"Pfft, I'll pass on the whole Boy-Who-Lived and settle for getting to know the guy who saved my Big Sis." Hestia chuckled. "So, it's cool with you if I hang out with you guys?"

"I'm pretty sure it will be, Hestia." Tonks grinned. "Once I introduce you as the top student in your year, well Hermione will likely try to pick your brain clean. That girl has a serious thirst for knowledge and smarter than half her year put together. Shame her common sense seems to be lacking."

* * *

"Ladies, I wanted to warn you. I invited Harry Potter to join our study group." Hermione looked to the other girls. She still wasn't too sure how this study group started. Originally it had just been Hermione getting a classroom to herself, then Padma and Su Li butted in. After that, there seemed to be new girls every time they met for a while. Now the group was rather large and they had actually formed a rule: Invitation only. So far there had been no boys invited, well unless you counted Ron who popped in once in a while to warn them if Peeves was coming their way. "He's actually improved to our level of academics, so I think he'll be a good addition."

"Harry Potter is going to be studying with us?" Susan Bones barely managed to keep her inner fangirl from freaking out. Oh, it wasn't the Boy-Who-Lived that the redheaded Hufflepuff found appealing. It was the boy who killed a troll and saved Tonks that had her interested. That he was cute was icing on the cake. Still she maintained her cool, or so she told herself. "Merlin, I am going to need something special to wear."

"Yes, because Potter is going to care." Daphne Greengrass rolled her eyes at the antics of Susan fretting over outfits. "He's coming to study. I doubt he will be scoping out future girlfriends for at least a year."

"Oh pull the claws in Daphne, Susan just wants to make a good impression." Padma shot to the defense of her neighbor. "Besides, I've seen what you wear on the weekends when you walk by the Gryffindor table. You've been trying to catch someone's eye."

"Not just someone, my betrothed if you must know." Daphne stuck out her tongue for a moment in a display of her maturity. "I'm hoping he gets the nerve to talk to me. The House divide is making it difficult to get to know him."

"Betrothed? Like marriage contracts?" Hermione quirked an eyebrow. "You mean they weren't jokes?"

"What weren't jokes?" Su Li looked up from her book for a moment. She always read before DADA. Mostly so she could meditate on what she read when the useless teacher stumbled through the lessons.

"A few days ago, Harry received a slew of Marriage Contract Offers in the Owl Post." Hermione shook her head as she remembered the twenty envelopes. "I thought they were jokes the way the Twins were laughing. I mean Pansy Parkinson? Really, while she is tolerable away from Malfoy she and Harry get on like oil and water."

"Well, the Parkinson's are a very wealthy family, and Ancient House. However, they don't have the influence of the Potters. Combining the Parkinson wealth with the Potter name would create a Power Bloc in the Wizengamot." Susan mulled it over in her head. "Her family should have seen if their Heiress played well with Harry before submitting a contract. Though it is possible Pansy's behavior towards Harry is because she is attracted to him."

"Oh, it is. Pansy is a lot like boys in that respect. She's doing the equivalent of hairpulling." Daphne chuckled. "That and it's how her mother treats her father."

"Please tell me that Draco is not hounding me for the same reasons." Hermione begged as a sudden dreadful thought occurred to her. If Pansy was insulting to Harry for that reason and she was like boys...the thought didn't bear repeating as it would make her vomit.

"Pfft, No. Malfoy is a prick, but he's very open with his actual feelings." Padma replied shaking her head. "He honestly thinks you are beneath him. He suffers from delusions of adequacy, let alone grandeur."

* * *

Harry managed to squeeze through the door to the joint DADA class just in the nick of time. If it had taken him one more second for him to return his broom to Professor McGonagall's office he would have been late. Already having been responsible for a loss of five points for such an occurrence he did not want it to happen again. Of course being so late left only a few possible seats for him. One was between the Carrow twins and the other was next to Parkinson. Harry briefly wondered just what he had done to deserve this. Neither prospect filled him with any sort of joy. Especially the way the Twins were just smiling at him. While he was largely invulnerable to harm, many spells still hurt. Without much preamble he sat next to Parkinson and prayed the girl was in a good mood.

"Look Potter, just because my family sent you a contract offer does not mean I want you around. Go bother the Carrow twins." Pansy Parkinson was not in the best mood. Potions had been brutal because she was mildly allergic to half the ingredients in that lesson. She had a massive headache and wanted desperately to eat some chocolate, crawl into bed and just sleep until lunch the next day. "Oh, they look like someone kicked their puppy."

Harry did catch the expression of the two girls drop as he sat next to Pansy. That more than anything told him he'd made the wise choice in seating. However another part of her comment caught his attention. "You mean that wasn't a prank?"

"Prank? What do you mean...oh yes, you are friends with the Twin Terrors." Pansy rolled her eyes as she figured out just why Potter would assume that. "No, it wasn't a prank. My Father was of the opinion that an alliance between our two lines would be beneficial. Parkinson's have the money and Potters have the influence. I informed him you were largely uneducated about Pureblood customs, but I doubt he listened."

"So this is something you don't want?"

"No offense to you, Potter. You're cute, sweet, and I can tell you'd treat me well, but I wish to remain unattached for now." Pansy replied with a sniff. "I have dreams of attaining a Mastery in Runes. I can't see that happening if I get married and have to pop out kids under some stupid contract. So, I'm a royal bitch to everyone but Draco since there is no chance in hell my family will contract with his. Break my cover and I will find a way to break you. Capische?"

"Yeah, I got it." Harry nodded. "So how do I go about refusing the contracts?"

"Well, just not signing them is enough in most cases. If the contract offer is open ended. then you might need to carefully word a refusal letter." Pansy shrugged. "Get Neville to help you. His Grandmother taught him all that stuff and if he can't do either, one of his betrothed can."

"Alright." Harry jotted himself a note to take care of that. "Wait. Neville has two betrothed? Isn't that illegal?"

"Nope, as long as the families agree it's perfectly legal. Rare as hen's teeth, but legal." Pansy began massaging her temples. "Now please be quiet, my head feels like it is splitting open and every sound out of you makes me want to kill someone."

* * *

The rest of DADA class was not in any way better than his short conversation with Pansy. Since Halloween, Harry had become more sensitive to the stench of garlic and incense in the classroom. There was also the faint aroma of rotting tomato that was souring his stomach. Combine that with the headaches that resulted from trying to decipher Professor Quirrell's stutter and Harry was suffering by the end. Once everyone was dismissed, Harry was out the door almost faster than people could blink, literally. Luckily nobody was really looking in his direction. When Hermione finally caught up with him, Harry was down the Hallway his head between his knees because the blood flowing to his head was easing the ache in his brain.

"Another headache, Harry?" Hermione asked sympathetically as she rubbed her friend's back reassuringly. Before the change, Harry shied away from physical contact. Now that he was invulnerable he did not seem to much. "Have you spoken to Madam Pomfrey?"

"Yes. Twice. The first time she gave me pain relievers, the second she tried an in depth scan to see why I got the headaches." Harry was still taking deep breaths, still bent double."Near as she can tell my senses of smell and taste are improving as are my vision and hearing. So, basically that overpowering garlic stench mixed with that bit of rotten tomato is making me wish I was dead."

"Have you tried an air freshening charm?" Hermione asked, just curious about how far Harry had experimented. Seeing him stand up fully in less than a blink of an eye had been a little shocking. The look of awed wonder on his face told her that Harry had indeed not attempted such a charm. "I'll have Lavender teach you one. She knows dozens of variations; the only one I know smells of Murphy's Oil Soap."

Harry scrunched up his nose. His aunt had gotten that particular soap for all the wood surfaces in the house. It worked wonders and the wood was gorgeous, but the scent was not Harry's favorite. Mainly because he was forced to wash the wood weekly while the Dursley's were at church. He could only imagine how much more intense the scent would be now that his sense of smell was improved.

"Yeah, I think I'll pass on learning that variant." Harry shook his head. "So how long until study group?"

"About five minutes. Luckily we use an empty classroom that is just around the corner." Hermione grinned and waited for Harry to offer his arm like a gentleman. When he did, she started leading the way. "Now I want to warn you there are ladies from each of the houses there, so no Slytherin bashing allowed."

"So, I would be the only bloke?"

"Well, perhaps. I'm not sure if the girls have invited any guys." Hermione hemmed her response. She had a feeling that only one other male would be welcome among the ladies of the study group, and only because he was betrothed to two of them. "Don't worry, it's only firsties, so you're not likely to get humped on."

"I should have never told you what the Twins were joking about." Harry playfully admonished his best friend. "And are you saying I am not cute enough for my year mates?"

"Not at all, just us firsties aren't quite as hormonal as the third years."

* * *

"Blech! I hate that potion." The silver-blonde's face contorted into a grimace of distaste and loathing for the liquid she had just choked down. Setting the vial down on the tray she sighed as she could feel the elixir taking effect. Her strength was fading already, soon she would only be only three times as strong as a human woman. She could feel her flesh weaken to the same frailty as the other girls. Worst of all her senses were dulling. "I cannot wait until the summer hols so I can let it purge from my system."

"You really should not allow even that, Fleur." The light reprimand came from a slightly older woman who had just entered the room, her hair was the same silver-blonde and the facial features clearly marked her as a blood relative. "Allowing your Veela nature to be unfettered will make having to adjust to a human husband nearly impossible. Do you wish to be like your Great Aunt, literally screwing men to death in order to sate your urges?"

"Maman!" Fleur glared at her mother as she offered her own reprimand. "I trust Grandmere. She told me I would find a mate that I would not need the potions to be with and that our daughters would be powerful Veela. She has never been wrong."

"I would like to believe that, Fleur." Apolline Delacour sighed heavily. She loved her mother-in-law as much as her own mother, but did not believe she had the Sight. Still, she would not voice that opinion and break Fleur's heart. The potion was a necessary evil for Veela, otherwise the powerful women would tear their human lovers apart. Oh sure they could take Giants, Goblins, Minotaurs, and Ogres as lovers and have them survive, but coupling with those races produced no Veela. Hell, they produced no females at all. "Are you ready for the next part of the ceremony?"

Fleur let out a long sigh and looked to her mother. There had been frequent arguments about the ceremony of the Three Goddesses. As a silver-haired Veela, Fleur was assumed to be one of Aphrodite's chosen. As such she was supposedly prone to promiscuity, taking a main Lover but laying with many men. The problem was that Fleur had none of the early indicators of such tendencies. She was not boy-crazy nor did she enjoy the attentions of the men affected by her allure. In fact she was usually repulsed by such fawning, at least when it came from males.

"Maman, I do not wish my first time to be with anyone but my chosen Lover." Fleur saw her mother about to protest and raised her hand. "I will still participate in every other aspect of the ceremony, but I will not offer my virtue at this time. Even the High Priestesses could not command me to, so please respect my decision."

Apolline frowned but nodded her head. While she thought her baby was making a terrible decision, it was indeed hers to make. Swallowing her objection she offered her hand. "As you wish, my daughter. There are others who need his services tonight anyways."

* * *

Dumbledore sat at his desk looking over the reports his informants around the world had made. While the majority of attention was on Wizarding Britain, he was still conscious of his desire to spread the Greater Good over the globe. Of course he would have to help people forget that Grindelwald had used that very same slogan in the beginnings of his campaign. There was a very valid reason he stalled any attempt to replace Binns as the history professor, without new Historians eventually Dumbledore could completely rewrite all of history to suit his goals. He just needed a few key people to die. Unlike other despots he was quite willing to let them expire of old age. After all, he currently had the Flamel's Philosopher's stone in his possession. With that he would certainly live long enough to see his grand vision become reality, and guide Wizard kind into many millennia of peaceful rule over muggles.

"Ah, let us see what the elves have to say about young Mr. Potter." Dumbledore spoke mostly to himself, In times of old he would have also been speaking to Flopsy and Fawkes, but when they had started disagreeing with him, he just ignored them. Reading house-elf writing was little different than listening to them speak, even the most educated of them was barely capable of grammar. What he deciphered was more than a little disturbing. "He can lift fifty tons without a wand? Impossible." Dumbledore exclaimed out loud. When he saw that the elf meant with his hands, Dumbledore reached for his firewhiskey. "I might need to revise the plan."

Albus poured himself a shot of the flaming alcohol and threw it down his gullet, savouring the burn as smoke curled out his nostrils. His original plan had been to make Voldemort target Potter and use the Dark Wizard's obsessive personality against him. While Voldemort would expend every effort in killing Harry Potter, Dumbledore planned to slowly weaken the sole threat to his own dominance in the Wizarding world. In the end Voldemort would die just after he defeated Potter. The Light would have a Martyr and turn to Dumbledore to lead them. At least this had been the basis of everything Albus had done since Trelawny uttered that prophecy.

With Harry so physically powerful, Dumbledore had to reevaluate his plan. There was a chance that Voldemort could be killed before the man uttered a spell in a duel. Wizards were more durable than muggles, but this type of strength was more akin to what Giants exhibited. If he is as physically resistant...how would he be made into the Martyr the Greater Good needs?

"I will just have to research ways of killing him and pass the information along." Dumbledore concluded after nearly a half hour of contemplation.

* * *

Unknowing of the fate that the Headmaster had planned for him, Harry Potter was at the moment wondering how he had allowed himself to be convinced to join a study group that he was only one of two males present. Neville Longbottom was firmly ensconced between Hannah Abbot and Tracey Davis looking almost intimidated by the two cute strawberry blondes. However, this meant Harry was left without any sort of male buffer between himself and the multitude of other girls. It was only sheer luck that Hermione seized one side and the already taken Daphne Greengrass the other. Otherwise he was quite sure from the blushing and furtive glances he was getting, he would be mobbed.

"Wow, Harry, your essay is better than the book." Susan Bones had volunteered to be second proofreader for Harry. Well, there had been others, but the fiery redheaded Puff had glared them down. "I had no idea the Jelly Legs jinx could be this versatile. It's mostly a prank spell."

"Thank you, Susan. I wish I could claim credit for uses to protect people in falls, but that was Tonks and the Twins discovering that one." Harry smiled as he took the essay back and saw that Susan was a bigger stickler for grammar and punctuation than Hermione. "Tonks just told me about it. And the blood clot removal comes directly from Madam Pomfrey. Would you believe Muggles have to use anticoagulant and blood thinners. Five minutes under the jelly legs and apply the reversal, the blood clot is dissolved."

"I wonder if it could be used to prevent broken bones from severing important arteries." Hermione mused for a moment. "Not that you ever have to worry about that Harry."

"Yeah safe to say I won't be suffering any broken bones." Harry replied automatically. "Even from the skillet."

"Skillet?" Daphne had been half paying attention to how her best friend was subtly teasing Longbottom when she heard Harry's statement. "Why would a skillet cause broken bones?"

"Well, if I burn the bacon or eggs I usually get hit with it." Harry blurted out, then went wide-eyed as he realized just what he said. "I really shouldn't have said that. Why did I say that?"

"Wait a minute, your guardians make you do the cooking and they beat you?" Lavendar Brown was not the sharpest knife in the drawer. She would admit that. However, she was blessed in that she was nearly impossible to shock. While the other girls were slack jawed at what they heard, she pressed on.

"I do a majority of the cooking and cleaning. I am punished when I make a mistake or if I do something freakish." Harry responded automatically, cursing whatever was making him do this. "Can we not talk about it? I probably deserved it."

"Deserved getting beat with a skillet?" Daphne asked incredulously as she looked at Harry, her eyes wide with horror at the very thought. "What could you have done to deserve that? Kill a busload of muggles?"

To his own horror, Harry Potter began telling of his treatment by the Dursleys. Hermione affirmed that before Halloween his powers had been non-existent. She then described the scars he used to have on his back and legs. Harry could only confirm it, wishing for all the world he could lie again.

* * *

"That was very Slytherin of you, Mr. Weasley." The Bloody Baron floated next to Ronald Weasley as the latter floated away from the study group.

"I am sure I have not a single clue what you mean, Lord Baron." Ron may not have practiced his pureblood manners, but that did not mean he did know them.

"Veritaserum in the snacks given to Mr. Potter." The Baron just chuckled darkly. "His darkest secret out in front of many lovely ladies who will do their best to make sure he never goes back there. Merlin would be proud."

"Really, is that what I did?" Ron asked in faux innocence. "And here I was hoping he'd share embarrassing stories."

"You are not fooling me, Mr. Weasley and I doubt you would fool Miss Granger." The Baron shook his head. "If you can inform me as to why, I might be able to help you."

"When I passed I spoke to his parents, five out of six of them." Ron responded. "What I learned made me choose to stay. I cannot tell him what I know. I cannot tell you even a fraction of what I know. I can say this, Harry Potter is going to do great things. Things that will make Merlin and the Founders pale in comparison. I will not risk those things becoming Dark and Terrible because of those Muggles."


	5. Tidbits

I want to thank all my reviewers and followers. You guys are awesome

I do not own Harry Potter, DC Comics, or Smallville.

* * *

Amelia Bones was having the day from Hell itself. She'd just received word that Simon Hellar was now dead. Supposedly the teen was so remorseful he had covered himself in Hephaestus' Flames and set the powder alight. There was now a metal slab in the Ministry Morgue that contained the incinerated remains of the accused rapist. He was the final suspect in the Tonks Rape case, the others dying by equally gruesome means. Carrow had overdosed on Skelegrow resulting in massive bone growth and tissue calcification, essentially everything but his skin and nervous system had become bone. Stoates had somehow fallen off the moving stairs and plummeted more than a hundred feet only to be impaled on one of the spears the Hogwarts armor carried. Somehow it had gone in his rectum and out the top of his head. Cavelish was the worst, somehow the young man's Runes project ran amok and he had been trapped in a room with four Bludgers that kept hitting him at full speed. He had been attempting to make a Bludger that would shed some inertia before striking so players were not hurt as often.

She wasn't naïve enough to believe any of the deaths were accidents. In fact she was quite certain each House had taken care of their own. Normally she would have investigated these obvious murders, but the Families refused to file the charges. In fact, Lord Carrow had been adamant that he himself would pay for the defense of anyone who was brought up on charges regarding these deaths. Amelia was not quite sure if she would have investigated very hard anyways. As far as she was concerned this was justice served.

Others in the Ministry were not of the same mind. Madam Umbridge wanted Harry Potter brought up on charges for assaulting Purebloods. The woman had ranted in her simpering voice for a full half hour on how that Half-Blood abomination should be punished for his crime. The woman was even convinced Potter had somehow murdered the 'poor innocent men' in order to cover up the fact that they were falsely accused. Amelia had to restrain herself from cursing the slaad-spawn back to whatever blasted dimension she came from. However that would have been the end of her tenure as Director of the DMLE. Instead she was forced to listen to the rant until Fudge summoned the foul toad for something or other.

So it was with the hope that perhaps the letter from her Niece would brighten her day that she opened the letter from Susan. The first few paragraphs were heartening. Susan was enjoying the hospitality of Hufflepuff House. She was getting excellent scores across the board from her instructors, even in Potions. She had even made friends in other Houses. All this just made Amelia's day a bit better.

Unfortunately the letter took a turn for the worse. Susan started explaining her concerns for a fellow student. How he had to be treated for flogging scars. How his clothes were all horrendously oversized. The more Amelia read the more livid she became. Child abuse was not common in the Wizarding World. Magicals innately understood harming a child was a good way to be on the wrong end of deadly accidental magic. Even Muggleborn parents seemed to know this. When Child Abuse was discovered it was prosecuted heavily, many of the Pureblood privileges just did not exist when it came to these allegations. Amelia had read enough in the letter to actually file a complaint and even started pulling the paperwork to do just that. It wasn't until quill touched paper that she saw the name of Susan's abused friend: Harry Potter.

"Oh bloody hell!"

* * *

Harry had volunteered to help Hagrid bring in Christmas trees for the Great Hall. He still wasn't sure why they started decorating at the end of November, but he saw no reason not to help. After all he enjoyed Hagrid's company. The gentle giant was one of the few beings around who was even near his new found strength and durability. They made quite a sight as they were walking back to the castle. Older students were used to seeing Hagrid carry massive thirty foot trees on his shoulder. Seeing Harry do the same was just mindboggling.

"So, Hagrid, is that your Cerberus in the third floor corridor?" Harry was playing out a hunch after the long talk with the Gamekeeper. Seeing the furtive glance, Harry knew he hit pay-dirt. "I stumbled upon it by accident. Though you know kids, tell them not to go somewhere and they will go there."

"Fluffy won't hurt the kids none. He's a sucker for kids. Puts on a good show for 'em though, all growl and no bite. 'Less they're mean enough to try'n hurt him." Hagrid defended one of his favorite pets. The large three headed dog was actually very friendly, provided you were Hagrid or a child. "I've been feeding him proper every day: one cow, one sheep and a bushel of bananas. Oh, Fluffy just loves 'is bananas."

"Well, I'm glad of that." Harry chuckled. "Still, why would anyone put Fluffy in a school? I mean the forest, I can understand. Keep predators away from the Unicorns."

"Cerberi are the best guard dogs in the world, 'Arry." Hagrid beamed with pride. "Even as much as he likes kids, he won't let any of them past him."

"So he's guarding something?"

"I shouldn'a said that." Hagrid muttered to himself. "Never you mind that, 'Arry. That business is between Professor Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel."

"Flamel?" Harry quirked an eyebrow as he looked to his first adult friend.

"I shouldn'a said that." Hagrid muttered to himself as he realized the hole he managed to put himself in. "Just forget I said anything, 'Arry. It's not business that students should be involved in."

"Alright, I'll trust you." Harry flashed a genuine smile. "Now, do you got any more of that treacle fudge? It's the only candy I can get that the others don't try to snitch a few pieces of."

"Just made up a batch and some rock cakes, too." Hagrid beamed as finally someone liked some of the same sweets he did. "Join me for tea tomorrow and I'll give yeh some."

* * *

"So we just have to discover who Nicolas Flamel is and what he is hiding in Hogwarts." Hermione concluded after Harry told the study group his conversation with Hagrid. "That should not be too hard considering the minds we have here."

"Oh, I know who Flamel is, Hermione. My first chocolate frog card was Dumbledore, and it listed the Alchemist Nicholas Flamel. Looking through the cards that Ron left me: I have both Nicolas Flamel and Perenelle Flamel." Harry laid the cards down on the table with a grin. "They are the creators of the Philosopher's Stone: The ultimate goal of the Alchemical Art, able to create gold as well as the Elixir of Youth."

"Then why bring this our attention if you already know?" Su Li never even looked up from her text-book. She was having a spot of trouble with her Transfiguration. It seemed every hedgehog she transfigured from a rat was blue. She was attempting to see what she was doing wrong.

"Well, I know what is being hidden: The Philosopher's Stone." Harry replied honestly. "As for who would want it, I haven't a clue. The gold it creates is all well and good, but from what I have heard I am from a relatively poor Pureblood family and I have a pile of gold in my Vault as tall as I am. So I can't imagine it's for the gold. As for the Elixir of Youth, it's a complex potion that only a very few people know how to make, and our esteemed potions professor is not among that elite few."

"A poor Pureblood family and you have a pile of Gold?" Hermione blinked twice as she tried to process that. In her mind she was estimating the actual wealth of the young man and it was staggering. "Hmm, could it be from a poorer family?"

"That is a possibility, though most of the poorer families would not have a Gringotts account. So leaving it there would make it safer from them." Daphne Greengrass replied. "The Weasleys have a vault until the end of time thanks to a deed Percival Weasley the First performed for Goblinkind. And while they are arguably the poorest Pureblood family, they would not steal from another."

"Of course we wouldn't." Ron Weasley defended his family honor as he floated around the table. "Besides Bill works for Gringotts as a Cursebreaker. We'd have to be completely barmy to risk his life like that."

"We can eliminate the staff as wanting the Stone. If Dumbledore suspected them, he would not bring it here." Padma spoke up.

"Well at least not the older staff." Parvati spoke up. "Professor Burbage is new. And Professor Quirrell took a yearlong sabbatical before coming back to teach Defense."

"We'll leave them as possible accomplices." Susan nodded as she jotted down the names. "Neither of them is exactly poor and I doubt either wants the Elixir. So it has to be someone who needs the Elixir."

"Voldemort is not quite as dead as people would like to believe. He believes he can use the Stone to create a new body for his spirit to inhabit." Hermione was staring straight ahead, her eyes slightly blank as if staring at something far away. A moment later she shook her head. "That was decidedly unpleasant."

"That was not news I wanted to hear, Hermione, especially with the spacing out." Harry grunted. "So it's Voldemort. That complicates things."

"Wait, why are you just taking her word like that?" Lavender Brown was one of the few that did not flinch at the name Voldemort, mostly because her Parents were a little too liberal in using the name to scare her into being good. Eventually the fear wore off.

"Simple, every time she has spaced out like that, she has known something that not many knew. For instance my full name, which even I didn't know until I got a copy of my wizarding birth certificate." Harry explained. "It's not the Sight, Professor Trelawney was very clear on that when we asked; so no asking for sweepstakes numbers."

"Aww, but Momma wants to buy her Boy Toy some pretty things." Tracy playfully teased. She truly enjoyed making Neville and her future sister wife blush. "Hmm, well, I suppose if Harry isn't quite normal it makes sense his best friend isn't either."

"Hey, Harry is a sweet guy and Hermione is a good person don't you dare…" Susan turned on Tracy with a look that likely could have scared a Dementor into committing suicide.

"Bones, I wasn't saying anything bad. Is anyone in here normal?" Tracy stopped the tirade and threats before they started. "Su Li knows more martial arts than I've even heard of and I'm an avid Bruce Lee fan. Neville here doesn't really need Herbology classes. He could probably sit his Newts right now. You can out duel fourth years thanks to your Aunt's Tutoring. Normal is not anything to be proud of. In fact I would be ashamed to be what most people consider normal."

"Oh…sorry." Susan muttered under her breath as her rant was derailed. "I just…it sounded bad."

"We understand Susan, you get very overprotective of Harry." Daphne smiled just a little as the redhead blushed. Brushing her heavily charmed golden hair behind her ear she continued. "Back on topic. You-Know-Who is after the Stone. Even if he can't figure out the Elixir, I'm sure he knows tons of rituals he can use it in."

"So what is the plan?" Padma was in many ways the typical Ravenclaw. She never acted without a semblance of a plan.

"Well, we leave some monitoring charms on the third floor. At the same time we watch the Staff and see who arouses suspicion." Harry said after a few moments contemplation. "If someone goes after the stone, you notify the Staff we can trust. Meanwhile I will stop the thief."

"Why you alone?" Neville asked as all the girls nodded. "We're your friends. We want to help."

"Harrel James Potter, you will not be leaving me behind." Hermione pulled out the middle name as she glowered at her best friend.

"Can any of you kill a troll by kicking it in the head? Can any of you take a Bludger to the stomach and not sick up? Can any of you walk through flames?" Harry countered when he saw most of them shaking their heads. "I'll definitely take Ron with me. But anyone else coming might be in grave danger and I wasn't going to speak for any of you. If you want to come, the rule is: Stay back and try not to get splattered with blood."

"That sounds like a really good rule. I'd hate to get Dark Lord blood on my robes. It'd never come out." Hannah tried to lighten the mood a bit. When she saw everyone snicker or in Daphne's case suppressing the same, she just grinned. "Now that the tension is over. Does anyone remember the incantation for blessing water? I have the acorn, white oak and the silver chalice, but I forgot the incantation."

"Oh, that's just a plea to whatever God or Goddess you worship." Hermione responded. "Any wording that asks for their protection and blessing on the water."

"I knew that was a trick question." Parvati muttered as she began scribbling down a few notes on scrap parchment. "Thanks Hermione."

* * *

"Mr. Potter, I would like you to stay after class for a few minutes. We need to speak privately." Professor Flitwick was making his rounds among the student as he spoke to Harry. Seeing the hidden glee in Malfoy's eyes as well as the concern on quite a few of his year-mates' faces, Filius quickly amended his statement. "You are not in trouble, Mr. Potter. I just wish to have a discussion with the son of one my best students."

"Of course, Professor." Harry nodded even as he released a breath he did not know he was holding. "I'll be here."

"Good, good. By the way Two points to Gryffindor for your excellent solution, Mr. Potter." Flitwick motioned to the Newton's Cradle that was working without strings. "Sometimes the best answer is the simplest."

"Thank you Professor." Harry smiled as he regarded his midterm practical. They were to use any charms they had been taught to simulate an example of physics in action. He'd gone for efficiency and used a series of tethering charms coupled with levitation charm to start the process.

An hour later, Harry was alone with the diminutive Head of House for Ravenclaw. Harry knew the Professor had Goblin blood in him, but aside from his stature he really just did not see any resemblance: where the Goblins were gruff and curt, Professor Flitwick was polite and gregarious. He wondered if perhaps the Bankers in Gringotts just hated their jobs.

"Well, Harry…if I can call you Harry…" Professor Flitwick settled into his desk seat. He had an office he could have taken Harry to, but his next class was NEWT Charms and he needed some time to get the classroom ready after his discussion with Harry. "Your mother Lily was one of my finest students in Charms, not the best as that honor actually belongs to William Weasley, but she is in the top ten in my Charms class. I am glad to see that you are beginning to live up to her legacy there. Oh don't get me wrong, before Halloween your grades were still well more than satisfactory." Filius smiled warmly. "However your change since the Troll Incident has convinced me that you might be capable of living up to your mother's legacy where she truly excelled: Dueling."

"My mother was a Duelist?" Harry's eyebrows climbed his forehead as he processed this.

"Oh yes." Filius smiled in fond memory. "Not to be immodest but I am one of the greatest Duelists of the current age. I fought Grindelwald to a draw four times despite the fact his power dwarfed my own. I have defeated Headmaster Dumbledore in friendly Regulation duels. I faced Voldemort twice and walked away uninjured. Moreover I have taught some the best warriors of this century. Among those duelist were your Mother and Father."

Harry's eyes widened as the tiny professor listed his accomplishments. One of the cards Ron did not have in his collection was a Filius Flitwick card, so this was news to him.

"Your Father was an excellent duelist both in regulation duels and in actual combat. He used transfiguration with a skill only exceeded by Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore." Filius smiled. "Your mother was on a completely different level. She used Charms, Transfiguration and even Banished Potions to make herself almost a Boogeyman among Death Eaters. Another two decades of experience and Lily could probably have taken Headmaster Dumbledore in his prime, let alone me in mine."

"Wait, I thought you beat Dumbledore."

"In friendly regulation duels, Harry." Flitwick chuckled a little at the memories of his marginal wins over the Headmaster. "If it had been true combat, well the only way I would be teaching this class is the same way Binns does."

"Oh."

"Now, I merely wanted to extend to you the chance to train under me in dueling and combat magic." Professor Flitwick smiled warmly. "If you perform well, we can move on to advanced dueling and even some goblin blade fighting. I am offering this because you show potential, and you have a habit of saving damsels in distress. It might not seem that way from the propaganda that is History of Magic, but all those of Goblin blood admire Heroes."

* * *

"Wotcher Harry!" Nymphadora Tonks called out as Harry was leaving the Charms classroom. Sporting an electric blue ponyhawk, she managed to look even more extreme than usual. Of course she did not admit to any of her friends that she was wearing it because of a bet lost to the Boy-Who-Lived. How was she supposed to know that Harry could chew rock cakes? She had shattered a tooth the last time she had tried that particular delicacy of Hagrid's. "Getting in trouble with Professor Flitwick? What did you do? Don't tell me you brought up Return of the Jedi."

"Why would I bring up Return of the Jedi?" Harry quirked an eyebrow as he tried to think of a reason. He knew of the movie in only the sense that Dudley had seen it. "No, Professor Flitwick just offered to teach me."

"It's taken you this long to figure what the Professor's are doing?" Tonks playfully teased. When she got the glare she raised both hands in surrender. "You mean like extra Charms tutoring?"

"No, he's offered to teach me Dueling, Combat Magic and Blade Fighting." Harry said after a moment. "He said that I could have the same potential my mom had."

Nymphadora gawped for a moment. She couldn't help it. The rumors were that once a year, Professor Flitwick taught a very important class in Auror Training. Once all the hopefuls had completed two years of intensive training and the cadets were feeling invincible, Filius Flitwick would beat that out of them. One tiny Professor against a full class of soon to be Aurors and he left none able to walk out under their own power. After they were patched up, he would do it again, this time with six Senior Aurors on the trainee's side. Again, there was not one Auror mobile under their own power when Flitwick was done. Filius Flitwick was not a being to be trifled with.

"I kinda asked if I could bring friends." Harry said after a moment. "So, are you willing to train with me?"

"What?"

"I asked if you wanted to train with me. I'm inviting Su Li, Susan, Neville, Tracey and Hermione. I really want you to join us, especially if you insist on becoming an Auror." Harry said not quite getting why Tonks was being so quiet.

Nymphadora had a firm rule when it came to dating. Once you reach adulthood your significant other should be at least half your age plus seven. Before then you could get away with dating a little younger, like her suggestion to Hestia. Still regardless of her firm rule, Tonks grabbed the collar of Harry's robes and pulled him in for a kiss that curled Harry's toes.

"In case you didn't understand that is a yes, Harry." Tonks said as she released the younger preteen who was not a little thunderstruck. "But that is the last one of those you get from me until you're twenty one."

"Twenty one?" Harry was still in a bit of a daze. He had been feeling the effects of accelerated puberty and a kiss from the gorgeous Hufflepuff had the usual effect on his mind.

"Yes, Twenty one, according to the Marauder Rule of Dating: Half your age plus seven is the minimum age the younger person in a relationship with an adult should be." Tonks explained matter of factly as she straightened out Harry's robes. "For minors it's sliding scale. The oldest girl allowed to actually snag you is fourteen currently. I'll have to dig out the full rulebook to see if there are exceptions."

"There are rules on dating ages?" Harry quirked an eyebrow. "An actual rulebook?"

"Well, the rulebook is actually the Marauder's Rules for Life and Pranking." Nymphadora chuckled as she recalled the title. "It was given to me when you were born actually. I really should make you a copy, your Dad wrote a good quarter of that book and your mother probably revised the whole thing once they married. Sorry I didn't think about it before, but it's been years since I read it."

"I-I would appreciate that." Harry had to ruthlessly suppress the urged to tear up. Harry didn't cry often and for good reason. Any time he had cried at the Dursleys it had been worth a whipping. If he cried in front of Dudley in the street it was a beating after a long game of Harry Hunting. It had been conditioned into him that crying brought pain.

* * *

Daphne Greengrass flicked her wand at the door and activated the plethora of locking and warding schema she had placed there on the first day. With a sigh of relief she released the numerous and complicated glamours that covered her body. In moments the golden hair on her head became the lustrous black she had been born with. Her alabaster complexion dissolved to reveal pale orange flesh. Her icy blue eyes were replaced by vivid purple. As the charms released she also grew to nearly the same height as Harry himself.

"Ah, that feels so much better." Daphne sighed as her body became normal again. She hated the necessity of hiding her heritage. It wasn't just the human supremacists she was hiding from, but from her own people. Well, not exactly her people so much as the Council of Regents that was supposed to raise her and her sister. She would not be the pawn for their ambitions, even if they would make her queen. "We almost lost Draco today. The blonde ponce is better than Nott, but still, he pinched my ass."

Even as she was speaking, she moved to her closet and retrieved a squeeze bottle of mustard. Opening the top she squirted the hot tangy condiment right on her tongue. He sister might have been the one to discover the drink, but Daphne was just as hopelessly in love with it.

"Do you want me to warn him off?" Tracey asked carefully. She remembered what happened to the muggle boy who had pinched Daphne's ass in the mall. Nobody had seen her do it, but the boy had been thrown through a plate glass window more than twenty feet away.

"No, I am going to have to ask Cormac to do it." Daphne groaned in irritation. "I love the Greengrasses, but I can't believe I have to marry that stuffed shirt. Worse, so does Kori. I got us off Tamaran because those bastards were trying to twist our lives into some horrific little tragedy."

"He can't be that bad, can he?"

"He's worse. He rests on the laurels of his grandfather and is a braggart to boot." Daphne floated up off the ground, enjoying one of the wonderful abilities her species was known for: flight. Folding her legs into a lotus position she just hovered as she spoke to Tracey. "He claims he can out fly Harry any day of the week. I have been flying on my own power since I was four and I wouldn't make that claim. He claims he goes Nundu hunting with the Head Auror. Nobody goes Nundu hunting unless they want to die. I doubt I would go Nundu hunting without Kori and a dozen Tamaran Elite Guard with me. X'Hal, I doubt a Daxamite raiding party would go hunting a Nundu. They are the type of thing one hears in horror stories of Apokolips."

"Well, not to rub it in your face, but I am glad I am betrothed to Neville. He might be a bit pudgy and self conscious, but I have seen pictures of his parents." Tracey chuckled softly trying to get her friend to calm down a little. "Even if I have to share him with Hannah I am going to be a happy witch."

"The only way I am going to be happy is if I can kill the Clorbag on the honeymoon." Daphne muttered lightly. "Preferably by impalement on his own hubris."

* * *

"So this is your sundeck?" Hermione Granger looked around the rather large addition to Hogwarts. "I can't believe the Castle made you a sundeck of all things."

Harry had taken the advice of both Poppy and Ron seriously. Laying out in the deck chair in only a set of trunks he was reading his history homework. Actually he was revising it to see if he was correct about a small change he had mentally. Looking up from the book he smiled at Hermione who was dressed in a conservative one piece. He had no clue that the girl was used to wearing far less at the beaches of the French Riviera.

"Yep, and it seems that only me or my friends can even see the doors. Ernie walked right past the door talking about how he had to find this sundeck." Harry chuckled softly. "Think the ladies will mind having study group here once in a while? It's heated and protected from the elements."

"Oh, I am sure that they will make a request to that effect. Lavender and Parvati have asked me for a catalog of swimsuits to peruse." Hermione set her book bag by another deck chair and stretched out. "Oooh, that is a really good cushioning charm. It's almost more comfortable than my bed."

"Hermione, you have a good memory, right?" Harry asked as his friend retrieved her potions text so she could read ahead. Seeing the girl nod he continued. "Is it normal for someone to perfectly recall every word on a page at a glance?"

"At a glance? No, not normal I would say. I can remember the general information at a quick read through. If I do a thorough read I can memorize word for word, but not at a glance." Hermione's face was registering a little shock. "Are you memorizing everything at a glance?"

"Yes, though I do have to think it through to actually understand it. I read History of Magic by thumbing the pages and I can recite the whole thing if you want." Harry replied looking back to the book. "But to understand the references? Not unless I revise it at a slightly slower pace."

"How slow do you have to revise it to understand it all."

"Well, pages this size, about a second or so." Harry said holding up the massive book. "More if the pages involve diagrams of wand movements like our charms books have. Perhaps two seconds for those?"

"You mean to tell me you can perfectly understand our entire curriculum for first year in just a few hours?" Hermione blinked twice and shook her head before grinning widely. "Don't take this the wrong way but I kinda hate you a little right now."

"Yes and believe me I understand." Harry chuckled. He could tell that Hermione was envious. "To be fair however, there is still the Professor's perspectives and experience to factor in. Only a tenth of what we need to know is in these books."

"Well, I'm still going to be insanely jealous. Are you going to use your new ability to read through the library?" Hermione asked playfully.

"A little. Many of those books are highly specialized or have magic that is fairly useless." Harry shrugged.

"There are thousands of tomes on older less efficient spells in there. The early versions of Stupefy for instance. Did you know the first version required eight minutes to sing the incantation and you needed to be powerful. Like Dumbledore powerful."

"Oh, I was hoping ancient magic was somehow…"

"Some of it is. The Unforgivables are some of the oldest magic around. Supposedly predates even Japanese Kido." Harry replied. "Most magic has evolved over the centuries to be faster, more efficient and to be easier to cast. Progress is not stagnant when it comes to spell development."

* * *

Harry Potter was beginning to question if perhaps accepting Professor Flitwick's offer was his wisest move. The reason for his doubts: He was currently dodging the combined fire of said Professor, Tonks, Hermione, Susan, Neville, Tracey and Su Li. Sure they were just paintball spells, but for every ten that hit he had to do a single circuit of the school halls. His only luck is that this came after the pint-sized sadist made the group perform a lap around the Black Lake at a full run and an hour of calisthenics. Harry himself was practically fresh as a daisy, but the others were tired and their aim showed it. Well, except for Flitwick, the man seemed to be energized by the run around the lake.

"Tell me again why am I the only one doing dodge practice?" Harry asked as he sidestepped another red ball that came from Tonks' wand.

"Because my boy, you have far superior physical stamina and speed than the others." Filius smiled as he released a pair of paintballs. He'd guessed correctly and Harry had literally dodged into the path of one while avoiding the other. "So while the others are training their speed and stamina up to the levels I deem appropriate they will work on their aim whilst you work on evasion. Something you most certainly need to work on, Mr. Potter. Given the bursts of speed you display I should not be able to hit you as often as I am."

"Plus, it's cathartic." Hermione said after she shot off a trio of paintballs managing to hit Harry for the first time, mostly because Neville, Tracey, and Susan had fired at the same time creating a wall of paint as it were. "You completed your lap of the Black Lake in four minutes. Four minutes, Harry and that lake has roughly an eleven mile circumference!"

"So I'm being punished for having weird powers?" Harry asked as he tried to evade the spray of pellets from Tonks and Su Li only to earn a few more splotches of paint.

"Nah, we just like you humble." Tonks chuckled. "Plus we're getting paid a sickle a hit."

"What!? They're being paid?"

"Of course, Mr. Potter. I needed a method of motivating them." Filius smiled as he scored another hit. "Now you have another thirty minutes of dodging practice before we're done for the night."

"Bugger!"

"Language!" Hermione, Su and Susan chided at once even as Neville, Tonks and Tracey snickered.

* * *

"So are you all packed?" Nymphadora was bouncing on her heels as she greeted Harry at breakfast. It was the beginning of the Christmas Hols and the Hogwarts Express was leaving Hogsmeade at nine. That left only ninety minutes given the carriage took a half hour to make it to the station. "Da's been looking forward to this since he got my owl back. He's probably baked dozens of different kinds of cookies to impress you."

"Yeah, I'm packed." Harry replied with a slight smile. He'd never really been allowed to participate in any Holiday as anything other than a servant. It would be nice to see what other families did. "You're sure this is okay. I'm not an imposition?"

"Harry, my mother practically demanded I bring you home after she heard." Tonks chuckled. "And we have invited the others for Boxing Day. So you don't need to worry."

"Sorry, it's habit." Harry mumbled before starting on his eggs. "So, how hard was it to get Professor McGonagall to agree to let me go?"

"Oh, we just had to invite her over to Christmas Dinner." Tonks chuckled softly. "Mum was one of her favorite students aside from your folks."

"Oh, well too bad we can't invite Hagrid." Harry mused for a moment. "Though, I don't suppose he fits in normal size places very well. So, is there a chance I could bribe you to take me to Diagon Alley so I can do some Christmas shopping. I mean I could owl order some gifts, but they are all books and I was hoping to give some personal gifts."

"Yeah, we can do that tomorrow, no problem. You might also need new school robes. I think you've already hit the limit for what the resizing charms can handle." Tonks observed before she started making a sausage and egg sandwich. "I need combat boots if I am going to continue training with Professor Flitwick."

"Ah, Mr. Potter, saying farewell to new friends?" Albus Dumbledore was certainly dressed for the holidays, if you considered Jade and Crimson with Neon Yellow trim to be Christmas colors. The man's robes almost hurt to gaze at. "Fear not there will be plenty to do around the Castle."

Harry almost responded but saw Tonks give a shake of her head and he held his tongue. It was better to ask forgiveness than beg permission in some cases. Harry was wondering perhaps if he did ask the Headmaster, that he would not only be refused permission to leave but the leave McGonagall had given him would be rescinded. "I am fairly sure I will expire of boredom, Headmaster. If I do not get a chance to speak with you I wish you a Happy Christmas"

"Happy Christmas back to you Mr. Potter and you as well Miss Tonks." Albus smiled in that disturbing grandfatherly way before heading off to his office.

"Smooth, Harry." Tonks grinned as she turned back to her breakfast. "If I didn't know better I would think you are staying."

"While I love the Castle, it just wouldn't be the same empty." Harry shrugged. "Now are you going to be sitting with us Firsties on the express?"

"Actually as Prefect I have to Patrol." Nymphadora rolled her eyes. "However I have a friend who is dying to meet you and she'll be taking my place. Provide your Best Friend or your little Harem doesn't run them off."

"Harem?" Harry's wide eyed expression spoke of mild panic. He had been avoiding older girls just so he wouldn't end up as a Boy Toy.

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed how some of the girls look at you." Tonks chuckled at her young friend's confusion. "Some of the guys too, but it's pretty obvious you do seek for the home team. Aww, cheer up. It could be worse. You could be like my cousin Draco and only have one girl after you."

"Pfft! He doesn't even have that. Pansy fawns all over him so that nobody tries to court her." Harry chuckled. "Pretty sure he knows it too."


	6. Yule Vacation part one

I want to thank all my reviewers and followers. You guys are awesome

I do not own Harry Potter, DC Comics, or Smallville.

And thanks to my beta: DalkonCledwin

* * *

Harry Potter chuckled to himself as he was lazily reading a copy of the Quibbler. The article he was reading was about Drangs, a type of winged serpent that supposedly was the ancestor to modern day Coatl. Like the Coatl the Drang had rainbow feathered wings and supposedly could fly. The differences were striking. Whereas the Coatl were at most twenty feet long, the Drang was supposedly three hundred feet from tip of nose to tip of the barbed tail. Drangs scales were purple instead of emerald. It possessed a single horn on it forehead as well as a mane of shaggy fur covering the first twenty feet after the head. The article was all fanciful conjecture as the Drang was supposedly extinct, but Harry found the article so well written he could not help but hope some proof of their existence could be found.

"You could at least make it look like we're some sort of challenge." Dora Tonks huffed as she pushed with all her might on Harry's arm. She had stupidly made a bet that even if she tipped Harry over she could get his hand to touch the table. Now, every girl in Susan Bone's private train carriage was doing their best to try to help her win said bet. "I may not have a sensitive Ego like some guys, but I do have some pride."

"And you told me under no circumstances am I to allow you to win because I feel sorry for you." Harry replied looking at the increasingly red haired Tonks. "You threatened me with walking around naked in my body and changing nothing. Do you just want me to claim my victory? If you remember correctly your forfeit was shopping for bathing suits that you have to wear to every meal in the Great Hall for the rest of your time in Hogwarts. And since all the girls joined in, they have to as well."

"No! Tonks you can't let him do that! He already checked and Flitwick confirmed that Thongs are not forbidden in the dress code." Hermione gasped as the full implications of deciding to help her new 'big sister' were. She had no problem with that on the beaches of the French Riviera, but the Great Hall would be mortifying. "What's his forfeit?"

"Uh, I get one wish. Basically, I can ask him for one thing at any time and he can't refuse me unless it's illegal." Tonks replied. "And since you are joined in, well he would owe you all wishes if he let us win."

"Okay, let's compromise. We'll wear regular bikinis for the rest of our Hogwarts years to dinner, but under a glamour that only you, Neville and the other girls in the group can see through." Susan offered. "And you owe us each a regular favor to be cashed in as long as it doesn't hurt anyone."

"Hmm, bikinis or lingerie, either one. And any future girls who join the study group have to do the same, and they get the favor." Harry said after a moment of contemplation. He could just win, but this would be so much more fun. "Ron gets to see through them too, but teachers don't. Sound fair?"

"Deal." Su Li blushed as she readily agreed to the terms for everyone, not that there was really much debate. Harry had them over the barrel, rather literally thanks to Tonks underestimating him. A few moments later the others agreed.

"Alright, it is a draw and yes you get to tell people you got me to a draw in Arm Wrestling, even Hagrid can't say that anymore." Harry chuckled as the girls all stopped trying to push his arm that last inch. "So what is this favor you wish of me oh great and powerful Dora?"

"Great and Powerful Dora? Ooooh I like the sound of that. I think I need a leather corset, thigh high boots and a riding crop to make it work though." Dora chuckled as she righted herself in her seat. "Well, I am going to save my favor for the proper moment I think."

* * *

It wasn't long before Harry and Neville had been kicked out of Susan's private car. There had been something about it being time for girl talk. Neville had politely excused himself away as he wanted to spend some time with an older cousin in Hufflepuff. Not wanting to intrude, Harry got himself a compartment and contented himself to reading through the lasted research paper of a Dr. Swann. It was a rather fascinating piece related to SETI. He had no idea why Ron pointed it out, but it made for interesting reading even the fifth time through.

"Oi Harry! What did you do slap Susie's arse?" Dora chuckled as she found her fifth cousin not in the private car like she thought. "Or is it you slapped it, but didn't follow through with snogging her?"

"Hardly. The ladies evicted Neville and I, so they could do some girl talk." Harry shrugged as he tucked the paper away. He had it imprinted well enough in his mind he didn't need to read it again. "So who is your friend?"

"Harry Potter meet my Little Sis, Hestia Jones. Hestia, meet Harry." Tonks smiled as she stepped aside for Hestia to enter the compartment. "Since your harem kicked you out maybe you could keep her company for a while? No, this is not the favor you owe me."

"Nice to meet you, Hestia." Harry smiled warmly as he stood like a gentleman should. He noted right away that the girl was the same height he was and was far more physically fit than even Tonks kept herself. Her black hair was kept tied back in a neat ponytail and her blue eyes showed quite a bit of curiosity. "Dora has told me a lot about you. You're in your sixth year at fourteen? You must be pretty powerful."

"Not really, my core just matured faster is all." Hestia blushed as she offered her hand. "I'm not nearly in the same league as you Mister Can-lift-thirty-tons-wandlessly."

"Eh, I just have a knack with Levitation charms." Harry waved off the compliment even as he kissed Hestia's knuckles. "Well, if you would like my company for the rest of the trip have a seat."

"Well, my job is done." Dora laughed. "Now remember the silencing and contraceptive charms you two."

The laughing metamorphmagus quickly ducked around the corner dodging a pair of stinging hexes. Harry and Hestia blushing furiously at the implication even as they had each shot off a wandless stinging hex. With a flick of her wand, Dora closed the door behind her and was headed off to rounds.

"I should apologize for that. She's always teasing me about the girls." Harry shook his head. His blush finally calming down he was glad to see Hestia seemed to be more amused than anything. "So, any boyfriend I have to worry about trying to mess me up?"

"She's like that with me too. I tutor Cedric and Roger and she calls them my little Man-Harem." Hestia sighed heavily then chuckled. "Cedric is wrapped around Chang's little finger and Roger is…well…Roger. It would probably take a Veela to get him interested in something other than theoretical Arithmancy or Quidditch. Even then I would doubt he'd have more than polite conversation."

"Met Roger once. We discussed the improbability of my abilities. He's extremely smart and probably shouldn't still be going here." Harry shuddered as he remembered speaking to the fourth year. "What are you tutoring him in?"

"Ancient Runes. Despite his abilities in Theoretical Arithmancy, Roger does not get Runes very easily." Hestia chuckled. "I hear from Dora that you are training under Professor Flitwick. That is quite the honor. I trained under him until last year."

"Oh, you're that Hestia?" Harry exclaimed with a wide smile. There was a reason for the confusion as there seemed to be at least one Hestia in every year. "Now I am a bit awed. He's very proud of you. He claimed if I am ever as half as good as you with a sword, then no goblin Blademaster would stand a chance."

"Given your strength and speed, probably not." Hestia chuckled. "If you ever need a sparring partner I am available. Especially since you probably need some of your humility restored."

"Hey, I am very humble I will have you know. I never gloated once about how I can do a lap around the lake in one minute now." Even has Harry said that he slapped his hand over his mouth. He had fallen into the trap and now he knew he was going to pay...somehow.

"Hmm, it seems like you just did." Hestia adopted the same predatory look Dora did at times. "I wonder what Dora and the others would think about that."

"Oh, please don't tell them. It will get back to Flitwick and I will be doing hours of dodge practice and they'll use stinging hexes instead of paintballs." Harry pleaded as he sunk to his knees in front of the gorgeous girl. "Please, I'll do anything."

"Hmm, well I was told about the little study group. I want to join but be immune to the consequences of your little wager earlier." Hestia pondered in mock thought. "And you'll be my practice boyfriend next term. It's hard being the only girl in my year who's never been kissed."

* * *

"And just why aren't you in the running to be the next Lady Potter?" Susan was stunned at the revelation that Hermione had plans of pursuing Neville of all people. Susan liked Neville and thought he was the perfect guy for Hannah and Tracy, but with how close Hermione was to Harry she would have thought the girl would be going after him. "I mean you and Dora are pretty much his best friends."

"Yes, yes we are. However, Dora holds that he is far too young for her." Hermione shrugged. "I just know that while I will always be Harry's best living friend, I'll never be with him that way. It's fine with me. He is attractive and if he didn't feel like my little brother I would be all over him."

"Oh." Susan nodded after a moment. "Do you have a clue if I have a shot with him?"

"Lady Potter will have silver hair. I know that much." Hermione shrugged. "So unless Harry has another title…"

"Susan wouldn't be able to be Lady Potter no matter what. She needs to be a concubine to be Lady Bones and continue the line." Daphne sighed heavily. "It's what's being done with Astoria and I. I will be Lady McClaggan and Astoria will be Lady Greengrass."

"Erhgh!" Parvati shuddered dramatically at Daphne's comment. "Is there a way to break the contract?"

"We checked. Unless Cormac makes the mistake of angering McClaggan's Patron House to the point a Feud is declared...no." Tracey sighed. "I've been over it. Neville has been over it. Neville's gran has been over it. No loopholes aside from losing their Noble House status."

"And who is McCLaggan's Patron House?" Lavendar asked hoping it was Brown. Her Father would be relatively easy to convince.

"Potter." Daphne sighed. "By the time Harry is declared of Age, I will already be married to Cormac. At that point the contract is unbreakable."

"Bugger." Su Li breathed out in an uncharacteristic display of profanity.

"Given what he says he likes about me I will probably be having that done to me...a lot." Daphne groaned.

* * *

"My earliest memory is actually a nightmare." Hestia frowned as she thought of it. "I still have it at times. It starts out a really nice dream. A girl a little older than I am is helping me get ready for bed. She looks so much like me black hair and kind blue eyes. I feel safe with her. She reads me a story, but i can't understand the words really well. It's all Greek to me."

"I have a dream of a redheaded woman reading to me and while I could repeat the sounds, it doesn't sound anything like any language I heard of so that is not unusual I think." Harry supplied as he saw Hestia's brows furrow as if something was bothering her. "So what happens then?"

"Well, in the dream after the girl leaves a monster enters. I don't know how, but he is next to my bed looking down at me with those blood red eyes." Hestia shivered as she remembered the dream. "His skin is black and it's cold when he scoops me up in his arms. I want to scream out, but I am too scared. In a flash of blackness we're no longer in my room. We're on a beach and I can see the sun is setting. The monster throws me down on the rocks and it hurts, but I am still too scared to scream. It wasn't until he drew the dagger that I found my voice. I am screaming for help as a I crabwalk away from the monster." Hestia's eyes were closed as she related the tale. She had told Dora the story, but not her own parents. She didn't know why she never told her parents, just that it did not feel right. "RIght then a man with bright red skin appeared. His hair is bright orange flames and his eyes are white light, but so kind. He strikes the monster with a casual backhand and sends him flying down the beach. He says something like 'She belongs to one of mine, not you.' and then the red man starts fighting the black monster. That's usually when i wake up."

"Wow, that is a pretty bad one. But at least it has a happy ending." Harry smiled warmly. "You were saved. I never was in mine."

"You dream of that night, don't you?" Hestia's subdued question was still loud enough for Harry to hear. When he nodded in response the young woman moved so she was now sitting next to Harry. She pulled him into a close hug even more intimate than the ones Dora or Hermione gave him. "You don't have to tell me if you want. I can only imagine how painful it is."

"She begged him to kill her and spare me. He called her a foolish girl and knocked her down. She begged again and he backhanded her. She lunged for him and he casually killed her with that green spell." Harry whispered softly as Hestia hugged him tight against her. "He gloated over me for a moment, then there was the flash of green. I don't remember much after that."

* * *

"I see young Mister Potter is having a bit of a lie in this evening. Be sure that the House Elves make sure he has a healthy dinner when he wakes up, Minerva." Albus Dumbledore adopted the grandfatherly concern he did over his most interesting projects. He was smart enough not to have just one iron in the fire and more than canny enough to make certain he seemed to notice more than one student. Of course if some analyzed his interests they would note they included many orphaned children who would one day have great influence in the Wizengamot.

"I'm afraid that will be impossible Albus. Mr. Potter is not spending his holiday in the Castle." Minerva didn't even look up from her dinner as she spoke. She felt the tickle of a legilimency probe on her shields, but not much more.

"Well, I am glad to see that young Harry is spending time with his family." Albus recovered quickly enough to not appear shocked. "He has had a rather eventful term. I daresay a stay with the Dursley's might be just what he needs to get back on track."

"Yes, that's what I was thinking as well when I approved the Intent to Leave form." Minerva said barely keeping the edge out of her voice. "Mr. Potter needs the special touch only his family can give."

"Yes, you are quite right." Dumbledore was of course thinking of just how the Dursleys would treat Harry. It would certainly end the little independant streak he was showing.

* * *

Harry Potter was at that very moment blushing so badly that he actually managed to make a Weasley blush look pale. He'd gotten his normal hug from Hermione which hadn't made him bush in months. However after that came the hugs from the other girls. Each one of them just as long as Hermione's. As they kept coming his cheeks kept getting redder. As if that wasn't enough, Susan Bones had upped the ante by kissing him on the cheek. This prompted more than half the girls to do the same, just to get him flustered again. Of course, Harry wasn't alone the girls did the same to Neville, while Dora stood back and just laughed.

"You're all evil." Harry barely kept himself from sputtering. "Pure evil."

"And don't you forget it, Mister." Susan said before very maturely sticking her tongue out.

"I don't believe he shall. That was quite the spectacle. I had not seen anything like that since Lily and her friends pranked the Marauders." Andromeda Tonks stepped into view as she spoke. There was little resemblance to her daughter, but given Dora was a metamorphmagus that was understandable. Aside from the fact that her hair was perfectly straight, Andromeda could have passed for her sister Bellatrix, at least before she went insane."Mr. Potter, I owe you a debt of gratitude for saving my precious Nymphadora…"

"Mother! Do not call me Nymphadora." Dora's hair cycled to an angry orange red instantly.

"Well, I refuse to call you Tonks, young lady."

"We just call her Dora." Harry offered with a shrug. "As for saving her, well anyone would have done that."

"Dora? I can live with that." Andromeda smiled as she tested out the new name. Her daughter had never let anyone call her anything but Tonks for years. That she allowed Harry to rename her was very interesting. Turning back to address Harry, she smiled warmly. "Harry, as much as I would wish you were right, it still stands that only you saved my daughter. And to me that means the world. So please do not dismiss my gratitude."

"Sorry, ma'am." Harry shuffled his feet as he felt chastised just a bit.

"It's quite alright." Andromeda smiled warmly. "And please call me Aunt Andi. Do you both have everything?"

"Yeah Mom." "Yes, Aunt Andi."

"Good, now take my hand, Harry. I will apparate you to our home." Andromeda smiled. Turning to the young ladies she smiled. "I hope we can all be introduced on Boxing Day when I won't be making your parents wait."

With that Andromeda seemed to turn on the spot. Harry was then subjected to his first apparition. The effect was not at all pleasant to say the least. He could feel his body being taken apart cell by cell into a fine mist and then shoved through a hole. Seemingly an eternity later he was kneeling in a back garden as he retched up the pumpkin pasties he had been enjoying earlier.

"Oh dear, that was dreadfully hard." Andromeda Tonks quickly had to sit as the strain of transporting Harry hit her all at once. She was a powerful witch and normally side-along apparating someone was not that difficult. Moving Harry however was like bringing along a half dozen people. Seeing her daughter appear a moment later Andromeda couldn't help but comment. "It's like moving a quidditch team."

"Well, he does weigh in at two hundred kilos now." Dora grimaced when she remembered that weigh-in. Oddly outside of being weighed, or when surprised the young man did not react as if he was that heavy. "Though after seeing him walk on snow, you would think he weighed less than a stone."

"You know, you could not talk about me as if I wasn't here." Harry groaned as he finally stood up. "That has to be the single most unpleasant way to travel I have ever even heard of."

"Sorry about that, but in my defense you were indisposed in fertilizing my rosebush." Andromeda chuckled. "I'll assume you asked for a steel framed bed because of your density. Will there be a problem with the floors?"

"I doubt it. I seem to not put my full weight on floors, even when surprised." Harry shrugged. "And if I tuck myself in right, I don't float above the bed anymore."

"Float above the bed?" Andromeda blinked twice then shook her head. "I suppose I should not be surprised. Though if you can do more shocking things perhaps it would be best to wait until after we have eaten. Ted has prepared a feast of Dora's favorites."

"Yes, some real food!" Dora pumped her fist in the air in celebration. "Come on, Harry. I have to introduce you to the wonderful world of Mexican and Southwestern cooking!"

* * *

"[I wish you would not do that while you are meditating.]" Viktor Krum deadpanned as he walked by his adopted sister. The pale young woman hovering three feet above the ground in the lotus position as if it was completely normal. "[I swear you do it just to give me an inferiority complex.]"

"[As if I would take the time to do that, Viktor.]" Rachel Krum responded in a completely deadened voice, though the slight smirk on her lips gave away her amusement. "[And you know it is not intentional on my part.]"

"[Yes, I understand that, Rachel. It is just...frustrating...to see you perform impossible feats of magic with hardly any effort.]" Viktor shook his head with a small smile forming on his lips. "[How am I supposed to be the intimidating overprotective brother when my little sister is far more powerful than I could ever hope to be? I am supposed to be the one your boyfriends are afraid of.]"

"[Well, you still have a chance at physically intimidating.]" Rachel responded in all seriousness. "[And what if I bring home a girlfriend?]"

"[That is when I will be very thankful you are adopted so it will not be weird when I picture you and your girlfriend together.]" Viktor knew that would be the end of Rachel's meditations for the day. Before she could open her eyes he was already running to avoid the hexes that would be coming.

"[Azarath Metrion Zinthos!]" Rachel intoned summoning her powers so she could sling wandless and wordless hexes at her brother as he so richly had been asking for. "[You are in SOOOO much trouble.]"

* * *

Harry had thoroughly enjoyed dinner, even when he tried Ted's Special FiendFyre Sauce that Dora loved on her tacos. It was a bit more heat than he was used to when Petunia had gotten the bright idea to season all his cheese sandwiches with Tobasco sauce but still good. He'd actually earned even more respect from Dora and Ted when he had more than one Taco with the super hot sauce. Conversation during dinner had been mostly about classes and Quidditch. He did find it a little funny that Ted admonished him for diving off his broom, while Andromeda had praised his ingenuity.

After the large meal, Harry was not surprised he was exhausted. The long train ride with it's emotional roller coaster and the veritable feast was enough to make him want to sleep for days. He was careful enough to tuck himself in bed properly. After all he had no desire to test the structural stability of the bed he was in or the floor it was on. In moments he was in dreamland.

* * *

 _Harry was standing in what he could only guess was a castle. It looked familiar but the pure white crystalline walls were making it hard to recognize. Despite the alien appearance, Harry felt as safe as if this was his home. It wasn't until he walked a few halls that he recognized that the castle was like Hogwarts._

" _Har El, my son, it has been too long since I have been near you." A feminine voice spoke from behind Harry. When he spun around he saw the red headed woman from his first memory. For a moment he marveled at how similar she was to his mother._

" _You're not Lily Potter." Harry responded rather matter of factly. He was not trying to be cruel._

" _No, I am not." The woman responded with just a moment of hurt flashing in her eyes. "My name is Par El and I was your mother no less so than Lily Potter was. I gave birth to you and loved you for the first few months of your life. Unfortunately, I had to send you away."_

" _Why?" Harry was a bit skeptical, but would listen. He was not human and from all accounts James and Lily were. "Why couldn't you keep me?"_

" _Our world was dying, Har El. I had to send you away so you could live." Par El could not help the tear that flowed down her cheek as she recounted this. "I sent you to the Potters knowing they would raise you as their own."_

" _I am sure they would have, but they died when I was young." Harry responded softly. "I was sent to live with my Aunt and Uncle. I was definitely not treated as if I was theirs."_

" _The Dursleys? Whomever placed you there is lucky you had not lashed out." Par El frowned heavily. "They are doubly lucky that I am a mere imprint of Par El."_

" _Like a painting? How are we talking in my dream then?" Harry had never been one to shy away from asking questions when he knew the person would answer them._

" _I am a bit more advanced than a simple painting, my son." Par El chuckled softly. "If I was closer I could do so much more than talk in your dreams. However, this is the closest you have been to my resting spot in a decade and I believe this is the edge of my sphere of influence. I would tell you where I am, but I simply can't."_

" _A Fidelis Charm, lovely." Harry muttered._

" _No, at least I don't think so. I just have no clue where I am. I was portkeyed here when the wards at Godric's Hollow were attacked." Par El shrugged. "Now I assume you have many questions. You should start asking."_

" _What species am I? I look human, but I know I am not." Harry started with the most obvious of questions._

" _Well, the most direct question. You, Har El, are a Kryptonian, one of the last in the known 28 Galaxies." Par El sighed before beginning the explanation of her species' history._

* * *

"Dad's very impressed with you." Dora mentioned almost completely out of the blue as she and Harry passed through the entrance to Diagon Alley.

"How can you tell?" Harry was still processing what he had been learning in his dreams. Still, he was quite sure Mr. Tonks had barely said two words this morning, even after Harry made breakfast.

"He ate your cooking." Dora replied. "And he didn't once comment on how it could be better. Not even Molly Weasley can claim that one, Harry. And don't take his silence the wrong way. He has to talk all day with clients and with cases. When he's home he just likes to enjoy being quiet. Not atypical of Ravenclaws."

"Ah, I thought he just didn't like me." Harry frowned for a moment.

"Nah, if you ever see him with Lucius Malfoy you'll know what he's like when he hates someone." Dora chuckled. "So Gringotts first?"

"Yep, I have all of ten galleons and four pounds fifteen p." Harry replied. "I need more than than just for your gift."

"Harry, I only spent like three galleons on you." Dora whined. "Don't make me look like a cheapskate!"

"I will love any gift you get me, Dora." Harry replied to the whine with a small smile. "But, I had planned on letting my Big Sister do a little shopping with a hundred or two Galleons in return for being my guide today. Only fair as I will be asking your opinion on things."

"I would do that for free you know." Dora tried for a glare but failed. "Alright, but I am spending it all on gifts and letting them know that you helped me buy them."

"You're going to buy them all super skimpy bikinis and blame me, aren't you?" Harry gave her the gimlet eyes as he spoke.

"Nah, I wouldn't do that...this year." Dora smirked.

* * *

"You blundering fool. How could you fail to get past the Cerberus again!"

"I'm sorry, Master. The stench of death keeps waking the beast despite the music."

"Yes, yes you always have a ready excuse. I do not care what it takes, you will retrieve that stone before the Equinox, am I understood."

"Of course Master."

* * *

"Damn that brat." Dumbledore muttered to himself as he stood in front of the Mirror of Erised. In the surface he could see the masses worshipping him as he led the way forward. Chuckling to himself he quickly covered the mirror. He had long ago divined his own greatest desire so the Mirror held no insight for him. "Every action he has taken since Samhain has loosened my control over him."

"You only need to appeal to his need to protect others, Brother." The spectre of Arianna Dumbledore materialized as she spoke. "He will gladly die to protect his loved ones."

"Yes, yes, that I already know." Albus replied in a much calmer voice than before. "The question is who will he love and can I control them. It will do me little good if the people he loves just decide to up and leave Britain. Voldemort has never cared for more than ruling here."

"The Metamorphmagus and the Mudblood are closest to him, yes?" Arianna half asked, half stated. "You merely needed to control one or the other. It would be wise to keep him away from the Lovegoods. They will recognize your machinations for what they are."

"The only Lovegood anyone listened to was Selene and I have already silenced her." Albus commented off handedly. "Xeno and Luna are both too eccentric for most people."

"Fair enough." Arianna shrugged. "You should consider making him fall in love."

"I could do that. It would make everything easier."


End file.
